Anyone with even a cursory interest in the Beatles probably already knows the basics of Nowhere Boy: How John Lennon (Aaron Johnson) came from a broken home of early sadness and later tragedy. He was raised by his widowed Aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas) after being all but abandoned at age five by his mother Julia (Ann-Marie Duff) and father, Alfred (Colin Tierney).
The film’s main drama is not the approach of rock’n’ roll destiny. Rather, it’s the tug of war between the officious Mimi and the headstrong Julia.
Director Sam Taylor-Wood and screenwriter Matt Greenhalgh (Control) seek to show the influences that lead to the icon’s creation, not the icon itself.
Thomas and Duff are superb in their respect roles, as is Johnson, yet the meandering script often seems unsure of where it is going, other than avoiding another stroll down the Beatles’ memory lane (or maybe Penny Lane).
Extras include deleted scenes and a making-of featurette.
