Lennon as Girlyman

email this story
read comments (23)
post a comment

Sam Taylor-Wood's Nowhere Boy, which premieres tonight at the London Film Festival, is a marginally effective, vaguely muffled chick-flick account of John Lennon's teenage years in Liverpool, circa 1956 to '60. I'm not calling it dull, exactly. Somewhat underwhelming? I respond best to films about transcendent, climb-out-of-it responses to problems rather than ones that mainly portray the muck and the grief of things. And Nowhere Boy's somewhat feminized, all-he-needs-is-love story just didn't turn me on.

But before I get into it I need to stop and report something phenomenal (and I don't mean to sound like a fiendish hard-ass in saying this). See Nowhere Boy for the Lennon curiosity factor or for the moderately good reviews it may receive down the road, but it primarily needs to be seen for one of the most grotesque miscastings in motion picture history. I'm speaking of Taylor-Wood's decision to hire Thomas Brodie Sangster -- a pint-sized, pencil-necked, chipmunk-faced actor -- to play Paul McCartney.

Everyone knows the teenage pompadoured McCartney was sort of Elvis-y looking, and that he was more or less the same size and weight as Lennon. Sangster looks like a growth-stunted audio-visual squad dweeb (he resembles Hustle and Flow costar DJ Qualls, only dorkier), and is nearly a head shorter and seemingly 20 or 25 pounds lighter than Johnson. His wrongness for the part is so complete that he throws you right out of the film...wham. This is easily the equal of John Wayne being cast as Genghis Khan in The Conqueror (1956). It's not quite as absurd as, let's say, the dwarf-sized composer Paul Williams (he played a rock-music mogul in Phantom of the Paradise) being cast in the '70s as N.Y. Jets quarterback Joe Namath, but it's almost in that realm.

The stumbling block for this fan of Lennon's music (as well as the general Beatles catalogue, of course) is that Nowhere Boy is too concerned with his domestic parenting issues -- i.e., Lennon's half-supportive but vaguely estranged relationship with mother Julia (Anne Marie Duff) and a somewhat contentious relationship with Aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas). And the fact that Taylor-Wood seems only dutifully interested in his musical beginnings with the Quarrymen and the young McCartney and George Harrison.

Aaron Johnson as John Lennon in Nowhere Boy

There's something rote and almost side-issue-ish about the musical scenes. Taylor-Wood shoots them but doesn't seem to feel them. That's partly because Nowhere Boy is primarily a hearth-and-home perspective on Lennon's early life.

I wanted to see a film about the birth of the Beatles, or at least one that would give me an authentic taste of what it was like for Lennon in mid to late '50s Liverpool, struggling with his personal issues, okay, but mainly about his finding a way out through music and performing. But all Nowhere Boy provides, for the most part, is a somewhat mopey soap opera. Young John may have been emotionally needy deep down, but this doesn't feel right or true or complete. I didn't feel Lennon's rock 'n' roll vitality and virility, and certainly not his rage.

Matt Greenhalgh's script is based on a memoir called "Imagine This" by Lennon's half-sister Julia Baird. I understand that this was the key issue of Lennon's youth, but the film didn't sell me on this, and in fact seemed to be frittering away its time by focusing on it. Lennon's anguish was primal enough ("Mother, you had me but I never had you," etc.) but my reaction all through it was, "Okay, but can we get to the musical stuff, please?"

Nowhere Boy boasts a relatively decent lead performance by Aaron Johnson. He doesn't overdo the mimicry and keeps his Liverpudlian accent in check. And yet it's a somewhat overly sensitive, touchy-feely rendering of a rock 'n' roll legend who was known, after all, for his nervy, impudent and sometimes caustic manner, at least in his early incarnations.

Notice the disparity in size and weight between Aaron Johnson (second from right) and Thomas Sangster (second from left).

I didn't believe the hurting look in Johnson's eyes. All those looking-for-love feelings he shows are too much about "acting," and hurt-puppy-dog expressions don't blend with the legend of the young Lennon (as passed along by biographies, articles, A Hard Day's Night etc.) Emotionally troubled young guys tend to get crusty and defensive when there's hurt inside, and this was certainly Lennon's deal early on.

And Johnson is needlessly compromised, I feel, by a curious decision on Taylor-Wood's part to create her own, reality-defying physical version of Lennon. She ignores the fact that he had light brown, honey-colored hair by allowing Johnson to keep his own dark-brown, nearly-jet-black hair. Nor did she have Johnson wear a prosthetic nose -- one of the oldest and easiest tricks in the book -- in order to replicate Lennon's distinctive English honker. Where would the harm have been if they'd tried to make Johnson look more like the real McCoy?

Thomas is fine and acceptable as Mimi; ditto Duff as Julia and David Morrissey as Julia's live-in boyfriend/husband/whatever. I liked the young actress who has a small part as Lennon's impulsive lust object. (I think I'm talking about Ophelia Lovibond.) And the atmospheric detail is nicely handled, although Lennon/ Johnson seems awfully well dressed (pressed shirts, jacket and tie, fur-collared overcoat) in certain scenes. In every photo I've seen of him he's never spiffy, always in scruffy hand-me-downs. It seems as if Taylor-Wood gave her wardrobe designer too much liberty.

The hair color of Anne Marie Duff, who plays Lennon's mother Julia, is slightly lighter but fairly close to the honey-brown tint of the real John Lennon's hair. And yet director Sam Taylor-Wood ignored this and let Johnson keep his nearly black hair for the film.

Sidenote: It sounds as if the trailer-makers have used an audio clip of the real Lennon narrating the opening of the trailer. I could be wrong, but one of the interesting distinctions about Johnson's performance is that he doesn't try to imitate Lennon's voice -- he approximates it -- but the man speaking in the beginning of the trailer sounds like Lennon himself.

Recession Tale<< previous | next >>"Go For It"

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on October 29, 2009 at 6:55 AM

comment #1

DavidF says ...

I could care less about his hair colour and nose if the movie is otherwise good. If, as you say, it portrays Lennon as a mama's boy, as opposed to someone whose hard genius is shaped by the issues with his parents etc., then I'm not sure I see the point.

At the end of the day, it sounds like the film you want is Backbeat. It's very much about the sarcastic, defensive Lennon and pays a lot of attention to the music. The dynamic he had with Stu Sutcliffe is probably just as formative as his relationships with Mimi and his mom, after all.

So, if this thing does a decent enough job as a 'prequel' maybe one can excuse its shortcomings on that basis....?

Posted by DavidF at October 29, 2009 12:02 PM

comment #2

115thDreamer says ...

That's definitely Lennon's voice at the beginning of the trailer. And yes, the kid playing Paul looks like he's 12 years old - terrible. It's like someone's little brother has tagged along to band practice....I kept waiting for the others to tell him to sod off....

Posted by 115thDreamer at October 29, 2009 12:04 PM

comment #3

Floyd Thursby says ...

Agree completely about Sangster. He looks too young, isn't remotely sexy, and doesn't appear that smart either. Although he has little to do in Bright Star, his scrawny presence is always annoying.

Posted by Floyd Thursby at October 29, 2009 12:05 PM

comment #4

Eloi Manning says ...

He is the kid from Love Actually. He was a twat in that too.

Good review, Wells.

Posted by Eloi Manning at October 29, 2009 12:08 PM

comment #5

Eloi Manning says ...

He was also going to be Tintin until it was rescheduled and they got Jamie Bell instead. Lucky escape.

Posted by Eloi Manning at October 29, 2009 12:12 PM

comment #6

Gaydos says ...

"A Hard Day's Walk The LIne?" Would Hollywood stop turning my brilliant, edgy, angry ,dynamic music heroes into simpering whiimpering lovesick sad sacks, please? If they do this to Miles Davis, there's gonna be trouble.

Posted by Gaydos at October 29, 2009 12:13 PM

comment #7

SnarfTheFierce says ...

Awesome review, Jeff. This is a real disappointment, as Lennon's life--or at least an appropriate selection from it--could really lend itself to a lean, gritty "biopic"-type film.

Call me crazy, but I once thought Edward Norton--around the time of Primal Fear--could make a terrific John on film. A slight resemblance that would grow more than exceptional given Norton's intensity.

Posted by SnarfTheFierce at October 29, 2009 12:27 PM

comment #8

George Prager says ...

BACKBEAT (one of Charles Taylor's top 10 movies of the 90s) was shit, why would this be any better?

I eagerly await Shia LeBouf's sensitive portrayal of Lou Reed in UPTIGHT! THE VELVET UNDERGOUND STORY.

Posted by George Prager at October 29, 2009 12:28 PM

comment #9

Eloi Manning says ...

Ed Westwick is Morrissey in BIGMOUTH STRIKES AGAIN.

Posted by Eloi Manning at October 29, 2009 12:57 PM

comment #10

Mr. F. says ...

Wait a minute, let me get this straight --

The guy playing Macca looks *dorkier* than D.J. Qualls?

I'm not sure if I want to skip this movie on principle, or see it for such a horrible casting decision...

Posted by Mr. F. at October 29, 2009 1:13 PM

comment #11

Brendan says ...

Thank you for calling out the grotesque casting of Thomas Brodie Sangster for Macca. When I saw that TBS was playing Paul, I literally gave up all hope on this picture. It is obvious that the director wanted to cast Lennon in the greatest and most sympathetic of light. From 58 to 66, this was a tandem that stood shoulder to shoulder with one another. How can you make the "cute" Beatle, the dorky one? Why do that to the Macca character? Because you liked the broken home story with John better or because he's "cooler". What a joke. For that alone I will wait for Netflix.

Posted by Brendan at October 29, 2009 1:29 PM

comment #12

Travis Crabtree says ...

Anne Hathaway as Klaus Voormann.

Posted by Travis Crabtree at October 29, 2009 2:00 PM

comment #13

Travis Crabtree says ...

Rodney Allen Rippey as Billy Preston.

Posted by Travis Crabtree at October 29, 2009 2:01 PM

comment #14

lipranzer says ...

Well, I liked Sangster in BRIGHT STAR, but he definitely looks all wrong for McCartney. The actor playing Lennon doesn't look or sound right either, though.

BACKBEAT got the Beatles right. My problem was with Stephen Dorff as Stu Sutcliffe and Sheryl Lee as Astrid - neither of them were convincing.

Posted by lipranzer at October 29, 2009 3:00 PM

comment #15

Terry McCarty says ...

Eloi Manning wrote:
Ed Westwick is Morrissey in BIGMOUTH STRIKES AGAIN.

With Chace Crawford as Johnny Marr.

Posted by Terry McCarty at October 29, 2009 3:18 PM

comment #16

George Prager says ...

Chris Brown in I'M GONNA MURDER MY BABY: THE PAT HARE STORY

Posted by George Prager at October 29, 2009 3:25 PM

comment #17

Eloi Manning says ...

Rupert Grint as Mark E. Smith in THE FALL: THE STORY OF THE FALL.

Posted by Eloi Manning at October 29, 2009 4:43 PM

comment #18

Eloi Manning says ...

Matthew Goode as John Lennon in NOWHERE BOY 2: NOWHERE MAN.

With Ken Jeong as Yoko Ono.

Posted by Eloi Manning at October 29, 2009 4:45 PM

comment #19

MeandMyselfandI says ...

This is such bad casting that it might as well be listed under "fantasy".

Posted by MeandMyselfandI at October 29, 2009 10:46 PM

comment #20

free online games says ...

It's my first-time i have a look at this web site. I uncovered a lot of helpful things in your blog especially this discussion. From the various comments on your articles, I assume I'm not the only one getting all the fun here!

Posted by free online games at March 18, 2010 10:34 AM

comment #21

Marlet says ...

It was a good rendition

Free Macbook | Free iPhone 3gs | Free iPod | Free iPad | Free Stuff

Posted by Marlet at April 16, 2010 7:31 AM

comment #22

dd says ...

Designer Handbags

Posted by dd at May 11, 2010 6:17 PM

comment #23

pitbull terrier says ...

Personally i think, by any curious verdict on Taylor-Wood's part to make her private, reality-defying bodily version regarding Lennon. She ignores that he experienced light darkish, honey-colored curly hair by enabling Johnson to stay his private dark-brown, nearly-jet-black curly hair. Nor would she own Johnson put on a prosthetic nasal area -- on the list of oldest in addition to easiest tricks from the book -- to be able to replicate Lennon's exclusive English honker.

That's certainly Lennon's voice at the start of that trailer. In addition to yes, the baby playing Paul appears to be he's 12 yoa - horrendous. It's for instance someone's minor brother offers tagged alongside to group practice.... I kept looking forward to the others to make sure him to be able to sod down....
Agree fully about Sangster. This individual looks very young, is not remotely hot, and won't appear which smart also. Although he's little to perform in Shiny Star, his scrawny presence is definitely annoying.
pictures of tapeworms in cats

Posted by pitbull terrier at January 25, 2011 8:35 AM