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Nowhere Boy

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Nowhere Boy (2010)

January. 27,2010
|
7.1
|
R
| Drama
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The drama tells the story of John Lennon's teenage years in Liverpool and the start of his journey to becoming a successful musician. The story also examines the impact on his early life and personality of the two dominant females in his childhood.

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Reviews

Hellen
2010/01/27

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

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Micransix
2010/01/28

Crappy film

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ThedevilChoose
2010/01/29

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

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Bob
2010/01/30

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

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catesa
2010/01/31

I am a total nut about The Beatles, particularly John Lennon, and particularly when he was young. In spite of a few character flaws (the occasional smacking around girlfriends, etc.), pre-Yoko Lennon was always my favorite Beatle, and frankly one of my personal heroes.I went into this movie already thoroughly acquainted with the story of Lennon's upbringing, of Mimi vs. Julia, The Quarrymen, art college, etc. Having been burned by movies like "Backbeat" and "Birth of The Beatles", I was bracing myself for a barrage of misinformation, out-of-order chronology, and embarrassing rock n' roll clichés. All in all I was very pleasantly surprised. The attention to detail and historical accuracy was such a breath of fresh air after all the years of sub-par Beatle bio-flicks.It was a joy to see they actually filmed at Mimi's house, Mendips. They had John Lennon's actual artwork and childhood photos hanging around. They found an identical guitar to the one he first played in school, etc. But these are superficial things to pay so much attention to. The main thing I wanted to write about are the characters: I was particularly happy to see the way Aunt Mimi was portrayed. She always gets a bad rep as this shrewd, cold, mean old lady, and it always bugs the crud out of me (actually, in the initial script she was written that way; McCartney and Yoko had to tell Sam Taylor-Wood it was unfair to her). She and Lennon were super-close; at odds sometimes, but they always had a deep love for one another.However, it was a little distressing to me how poor Julia was treated. The movie makes her out to be some mentally unstable skank; a neglectful, childish strumpet who never bothered to know her son until he was almost grown. The truth is Julia and John saw each other during his childhood as often as circumstances allowed (albeit infrequently), and were very close in the years leading to her death. It doesn't seem as if the real Julia was as loose and out of control as the movie implies. I think it was more a matter of her whimsy and eccentricity bothering straight-laced Mimi. Mimi allegedly got custody of John after ranting and raving to child services that her sister was "unfit to be a parent" and insisted on taking him. Given how old-fashioned Mimi was, there's a good chance that Julia's "hard living" was blown way out of proportion (Ironically, there's some evidence that Mimi was having an affair with her young student lodger in spite of her disapproval of Julia). By today's standards, the whole situation isn't really that scandalous(*gasp*, you sleep with someone you're not married to!), but I suppose it was for then. Just some food for thought.I was also a little rubbed that they had young Paul McCartney acting like John's teacher or something. He might've known more chords, or written a song or two, but he and Lennon were both relatively clueless when they began playing together. Lennon asking him "Why do you know so much?" - kinda lame considering that McCartney was pretty in awe of him too.Lastly, the man, the myth, the legend himself: I think this movie hits closest to the mark on young Lennon's personality out of any film ever made about him. He was a complex guy, especially in his youth (before he was Mr. "Peace and Love"). I think the tough guy posturing was probably dead on. The unchecked confidence that just oozes from Aaron Johnson's pores really sells it. You get the sense that teenage Lennon is only bluffing his "dangerous troublemaker" bit, which was probably the case. I would've liked to have seen a little more of his sense of humor (the classic cheeky Lennon wit is missing a little bit). Although I appreciate the effort to also have him show some sensitivity, I think in this movie it's the wrong kind.I think John could've been written a little friendlier, warmer, kinder. Despite his teddy boy image, he apparently could be a sweetheart (you know, when not mocking the disabled or swearing at old ladies). It's the mixture of that "I'm a badass" hardness and who he was underneath that make him such a fascinating character.It's common knowledge that his family situation was something he was deeply embarrassed about, and that his mother's death was really hard on him, but young Lennon was also notorious for hiding any emotion that wasn't blind rage. I'm seriously doubtful that he would've gotten into some screamy-crying emotional spat with Mimi and his mom. I mean, come on - punching out Paul, running out of the house crying like some whiny little brat? Where's the chilled-out, laid back sarcastic guy we all know and love? Lennon was plenty interesting enough on his own - no need to make him carry on like a soap star.In the end, I have to keep in mind that it's only a movie, and compared to what's come before it I think it does a relatively wonderful job of showing post-war, pre "fab" Beatles; the history is pretty on the nuggets (it would've been cool to see Stu make an appearance, but you can't have everything), the writing and the acting are superb, and It's cool to see so much of Liverpool. Go watch it. Right now. Do it. Now.

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Amy Adler
2010/02/01

John Lennon (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) has just listened to his school headmaster put him down as going nowhere. The young teen responds that there probably is "nowhere" for a genius like him. Good comeback, John! In truth, young Lennon does have his problems, at school and at home. He has lived with his stern Aunt Mimi (Kristen Scott-Thomas) for as long as he can remember but he doesn't know why he doesn't live with his mother, Julia (Anne Marie Duff) or his father. One day, at an uncle's funeral, he DOES learn that his mother is in London, for she comes quietly to the service. What a revelation for John! Rushing over to her house as soon as he gets a chance, he finds Julia is now married to another gentleman, not John's father, and has several young daughters. Very pretty and full of life, Julia teaches John how to play the banjo and insists he listen to some of her recordings. This leads to John learning to play the guitar, too, forming a rock n roll band, and having more visits with Julia. But, Mimi is not pleased and she finally tells John why. Now, the teen is more confused than ever. What is true familial love, the ones who responsibly care for their children or those who ignite their imaginations? This wonderful film of John Lennon's teen years, before the fame and fortune, is remarkable. Like so many of us, John's early life was less than ideal but, nevertheless, shaped his future destiny in many ways. The cast, including the three principals, is quite fine as is the recreation of the late fifties in Britain, through costume, sets, and direction. If you consider Lennon to be the most compelling of the Beatles, as I do, you most certainly should not skip this one. Try the library, that's where I got this gem!

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Ed-Shullivan
2010/02/02

Before John Lennon became famous as one of the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show in the 1960's, he was just another teenage boy filled with many unanswered questions as to who he really was, who his natural parents were, and he maintained distant and tormented memories of his very early childhood. Aaron Taylor-Johnson played the teenage John Lennon with convincing authority. Some viewers would say that Aaron Taylor-Johnson did not look like the real young John Lennon, but I would rather have a good portrayal by an actor than someone who just happened to look like John Lennon. The movie has no mention of the world wide fame and future of the Beatles which is just fine with me. Instead it focuses on the early childhood of young John growing up in Liverpool with his Auntie Mimi and Uncle George and his introduction to how music could mesmerize the world. Like a lot of families there are issues with adult siblings and their offspring. John happens to be one of those children affected as he is raised by his Auntie Mimi and Uncle George from the age of 5 to 15. He eventually reconnects with his birth mother and this just adds to John's turmoil, but also provides him with his first taste of a stringed instrument that his mom helps him learn.Kristin Scott Thomas plays Auntie Mimi superbly, as the loving and authoritative mother that John was lacking. His questions about why he came to live with his Aunt and Uncle are gradually realized, and his birth mom and Aunt (who are sisters) put aside their differences and John seems happy to see that they have patched up their differences.We also see how Paul McCartney and George Harrison eventually join John's band originally named the Quarrymen. If you are interested in how the Beatles actually became the Beatles then this movie will not shed any light on that history which came later in their lives when they eventually connect with producer Brian Epstein. I did not consider Nowhere Boy anything special, but it did accomplish what it set out to do which was to provide Beatles fans with insight in to what kind of a life John Lennon had growing up in Liverpool and how like many teenage boys who established a band, got their start in life. I rated this movie only a 5 out of 10 as Nowhere Boy could have been about any teenage boy whose actual childhood living with an aunt and uncle could resemble that of any one of a thousand teenage boys, who came from a broken family. Nowhere Boy is interesting because it happens to be about the early adolescence of John Lennon. This movie allows the viewer to witness John Lennon from simple beginnings as one of three young teenagers from the town of Liverpool who formed a band with their original drummer Pete Best (before Ringo Starr) decide on their own to travel to Hamburg Germany for a few months and see if they could make it in the music industry. And so their historical journey began......

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larkinvonalt
2010/02/03

Inaccurate dreck, and absolutely painful to watch. They couldn't find an actor who at least resembled John in speech, mannerism and appearance? We're not talking about a film on Caesar here-- we all KNOW what John looked and sounded like. Some basic fact-checking would have been useful as well. The life of John Lennon has been well-documented, the time period is within the living memory of plenty of people; the filmmakers can't just make this crap up and present it to the public in a treacly, hazy portrait and expect anything much beyond well-earned derision. If you know anything about the Beatles and if you care anything about historical accuracy, save yourself from an absolutely torturous hour and forty-five minutes.

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