Post by Nowhere Man on Dec 12, 2009 13:43:24 GMT
Last Friday (4th December) I was lucky enough to be able to go and see the Liverpool Preview of the new film 'Nowhere Boy' based on the life of John Lennon, aged around 16/17.
A few weeks earlier we hosted the Northern Charity Premiere, but tickets for that were a liitle beyond my budget at £75, so I was more than happy to part with £7 and go along to the FACT (Film, Arts, Cinema and Technology) Centre.
So, to my review... in short: It's a damn fine film, go and see it!
In the UK, Nowhere Boy is on general release on Boxing Day.
In essence, it's a film about two women vying for the love and affection of a teenage boy. It just happens to be based on the teenage life of John Lennon and the two women ofcourse are Julia, his mother and his Aunte Mimi.
It's well scripted, well directed and overall very well executed. You don't have to be a Beatles fan to understand it, you can enjoy it simply as a great story and piece of cinema. In fact, non Beatle fans may enjoy it more, as hard-core mop top supporters may be a little over critical.
Although Beatle fans know the story and the key events at that time of Lennon's life, it will, in parts take you by surprise, play with your emotions and make you smile - it has the lot.
In a way it's a prequel to Backbeat (I like Backbeat, but I know it's come under fire on this forum recently) so, any new Beatle fans out there, watch these two films and you will be well on your way to understanding the early years of four lads who shook the world.
At the preview we were treated to a Q&A session with the script writer and the young actor who played Pete Shotton (sorry, I can't remember names) - one of the key points raised during that for me was that, in the film Mimi is depicted as a caring, compasionate character, compared to Julia Baird's book where she is painted as strict and uncaring. Interesting, I guess we will never really know - or maybe Mimi felt more for John that his sisters. People can show different sides to different people at different times, so for a film to show Mimi in this way I think helps to balance things out a little. If Mimi was that much of tyrant, John would not have thought that much of her surely? This film opens up that debate and that can't be a bad thing.
For those in the UK, tonight on E4 (Saturday 12th December) at 10.45pm-11.50pm you can watch 'Sam Taylor Wood's Nowhere Boy'
For those outside the UK, or if you miss it, you may be able to watch on-line on the Channel 4 website.
I'd be interested to read what you folks think of Nowhere Boy, so get out there on Boxing day, work off all that 'Cold Turkey' and go you your local cinema.
A few weeks earlier we hosted the Northern Charity Premiere, but tickets for that were a liitle beyond my budget at £75, so I was more than happy to part with £7 and go along to the FACT (Film, Arts, Cinema and Technology) Centre.
So, to my review... in short: It's a damn fine film, go and see it!
In the UK, Nowhere Boy is on general release on Boxing Day.
In essence, it's a film about two women vying for the love and affection of a teenage boy. It just happens to be based on the teenage life of John Lennon and the two women ofcourse are Julia, his mother and his Aunte Mimi.
It's well scripted, well directed and overall very well executed. You don't have to be a Beatles fan to understand it, you can enjoy it simply as a great story and piece of cinema. In fact, non Beatle fans may enjoy it more, as hard-core mop top supporters may be a little over critical.
Although Beatle fans know the story and the key events at that time of Lennon's life, it will, in parts take you by surprise, play with your emotions and make you smile - it has the lot.
In a way it's a prequel to Backbeat (I like Backbeat, but I know it's come under fire on this forum recently) so, any new Beatle fans out there, watch these two films and you will be well on your way to understanding the early years of four lads who shook the world.
At the preview we were treated to a Q&A session with the script writer and the young actor who played Pete Shotton (sorry, I can't remember names) - one of the key points raised during that for me was that, in the film Mimi is depicted as a caring, compasionate character, compared to Julia Baird's book where she is painted as strict and uncaring. Interesting, I guess we will never really know - or maybe Mimi felt more for John that his sisters. People can show different sides to different people at different times, so for a film to show Mimi in this way I think helps to balance things out a little. If Mimi was that much of tyrant, John would not have thought that much of her surely? This film opens up that debate and that can't be a bad thing.
For those in the UK, tonight on E4 (Saturday 12th December) at 10.45pm-11.50pm you can watch 'Sam Taylor Wood's Nowhere Boy'
For those outside the UK, or if you miss it, you may be able to watch on-line on the Channel 4 website.
I'd be interested to read what you folks think of Nowhere Boy, so get out there on Boxing day, work off all that 'Cold Turkey' and go you your local cinema.