The Film
It's obvious where the title of 2009's Nowhere Man came from. However, after viewing this interesting look at the early life of John Lennon, a more appropriate title might have been "All You Need is Love."
Nowhere Boy is mostly about Lennon's teen years, and what a sad and interesting time that was. From the age of five, Lennon (played here by Kick-Ass star Aaron Johnson) lived with his Aunt Mimi (Kristen Scott Thomas) and Uncle George (David Threlfall). After George dies, he catches a glimpse of his long-lost mother (Anne-Marie Duff) at the funeral. Soon after, the two develop a completely weird, almost inappropriate relationship. She introduces him to Elvis, banjo, and extreme heartache.
Don't expect to learn anything about Yoko, or even Ringo for that matter. Nowhere Boy doesn't discuss The Beatles, although we do meet a young Paul McCartney (Thomas Sangster) and George Harrison (Sam Bell). It's a shame that Nowhere Boy just brushes the birth of the greatest band of all-time. Although, that addition would have really changed the focus (and possibly the review) of this movie.
Still, Lennon's humble beginnings explain a lot of his lyrics -- not even counting "Julia," which is about his birth mother. Nowhere Boy is interesting, sad, and extremely well acted. Johnson is a standout as Lennon, which is obviously a difficult role to tackle. However, a lot of kudos should go to the always perfect Thomas, as well as Duff, who are opposites in every way, but equally entertaining.
If you want to dig deeper into this movie, check out David Kempler's review of the theatrical release of Nowhere Boy.
The Picture
Nowhere Boy has its share of soft shots, which are all intentional. This film was made to appear dated. It does achieve that, but that time period can't drown out some of the imagery in this 2.35:1 transfer. The skintones are spot on and there are plenty of popping colors. For instance, the band's black suits against the bright red curtain make a bold statement, as do the many pieces of wallpaper and occasional bright pieces of furniture. Close-ups are also wonderful, most notably in Johnson's gorgeous blue eyes and his coifed, slicked hair.
The Sound
Although most of the film is focused on dialogue, this DTS-HD Master Audio track is absolutely wonderful. Despite the heavy accents, all of the dialogue comes through very clearly and never misses a beat. Speaking of which, despite not being about The Beatles, this movie is very much about music. There are a lot of band performances, all of which will truly rock your socks off. For a relatively quiet movie, these moments provide a nice wake-up call for the viewer and the soundfield. Every chord has a nice twang; it's a bold presentation, but never drags into any of the dialogue.
The Extras
In a bizarre move, Sony didn't pick up all of the extras from last year's UK Blu-ray release of Nowhere Boy. The commentary is gone, as well as a few of the extras. What's left includes a few deleted scenes, and less than eight minutes on the making of the film, which is mostly about inspiration and what the cast and crew thought about the movie. "The Untold Story" offers a few extra minutes, but no real revelations about the movie or its subject matter. Instead, there are red carpet interviews and a lot of movie clips. The biggest tidbit is how director Sam Taylor Wood consulted both Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono on the movie. Ono is also seen briefly in this short, to give the movie her blessing.
Final Thoughts
Hardcore Beatles' fans probably won't find any new revelations in Nowhere Boy, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. It's a new take on an icon, and a good one at that. Casual fans and even non-fans are sure to find this portrayal riveting thanks to good dialog and excellent acting. It's interesting to see how a man so focused on love spent so much of his formative years searching for just that. Of course, there's some controversy about the accuracy of the film. Either way, it does a beautiful job portraying Lennon and explaining some of his inspiration.
Product Details
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