Nowhere Boy (The Weinstein Company)

-Directed By: Sam Taylor-Wood

-Starring: Aaron Johnson, Thomas Brodie Sangster, Anne-Marie Duff, Kristin Scott Thomas

-Written By: Julia Baird (Memoir), Matt Greenhalgh

-Rating: R

-Run Time: 98 minutes

“Nowhere Boy” the British-Canadian biopic about the tumultuous home life of a teenage John Lennon that predates the explosion of The Beatles is a film worth seeing as it depicts the circumstances that shaped the legend.

Released in 2009, and brought to the US in October of this year, “Nowhere Boy” is based on a biography written by Julia Baird, Lennon’s half-sister. The film catalogues the predicament of Lennon as he forges a relationship with his estranged mother Julia Lennon, and tries to find a balance between her and his Aunt Mimi, the woman who raised him. The complicated situation takes its toll on Lennon when the true nature of his mother, as well as the reasons behind his non-traditional upbringing come to light. During this, the formation of his first band The Quarrymen, which is destined to become The Beatles, serves as a back-drop to a young man discovering himself.

There were many notable performances in the film. Aaron Johnson stars as the young John Lennon and does well to show a range of emotions as the character culminates into a young musician who finds peace within his family. Krisitin Scott Thomas plays Mimi Smith, the maternal aunt of Lennon who seems to be a cold woman at first, but becomes recognizable as a truly caring but calculated mother figure. Anne-Marie Duff portrays Julia Lennon, John’s real mother who is reconnected with her son after the death of his uncle. Duff gives a stellar performance of a woman who is at times so manic that her mental health comes into question.

The story of a boy lost between two mothers is interesting enough on its own. However, the fact that it is John Lennon going through this during the early formation of one of the biggest bands in history adds another layer to the film all together. Swept up by the emerging genre of Rock and Roll, Lennon begins his career in music by picking up a banjo and taking lessons from his mother Julia in a montage that is off-putting in some ways. Eventually forming a band and playing shows leads to the meeting of Lennon with future Beatles Paul McCartney, and George Harrison.

The films major failing however comes when Lennon first meets McCartney, played well by Thomas Brodie Sangster, and McCartney then performs an audition of sorts. The voiced-over singing of what is supposed to be a 15-year-old McCartney can only be described as silly, however, the rest of Sangster’s performance is exceptional and exhibits the emergence of a tight bond between the two famed musicians.

“Nowhere Boy” is by no means a perfect film, but it does have an incredibly human story that is upheld by all around excellent performances. Fans of John Lennon would do well to see it, as it is worth their time.