• Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket

British Cinema: Nowhere Boy (2009)

January 15, 2010 by admin

Nowhere Boy, 2009.

Directed by Sam Taylor Wood.
Starring Aaron Johnson, Kristen Scott Thomas and Anne-Marie Duff.

SYNOPSIS:

This is the story of teenage John Lennon and his three loves – his music, his Mum, and his Aunt.

The sign of a really good film is when you walk out of the cinema and into a bookshop to find out more, and that several hours later, your are still immersed in the subject. Nowhere Boy has caused me to rekindle my Beatles/Lennon interest, and I am already considering a second viewing. This is a period of John’s life I knew little of and not the era of his music that I like. But I allowed the film to tell its story without concerning myself with my musical tastes or the biographical truth.

I love that both women – Aunt Mimi and Julia his Mum – have moments of warmth and sympathy, and there is no judgment of either. It’s too simplistic to say that Mimi is uptight and posh and trad, whilst Julia is the crazy freespirited one. How can Mimi be so respectably conventional when she is a chain smoker with an illicit affair? The family relationships hinted at are somewhat unconventional if not shocking. I wondered what was meant by John’s relationship with his Uncle – the way they collapsed on the stairs and at his funeral, John says that George was ‘more than an uncle’…? Julia behaves as if her son is also her toyboy, kissing him repeatedly and flirting in front of him.

At the end he particularly shows a trait that he candidly owned and lamented later in his life: violence. But he is also a very loving person, someone who does awful things but somehow you like him and want him to like you. Aaron Johnson’s portrayal of John has so much character, making everything he says and does distinct and charismatic, and a natural leader. As Julia, Anne-Marie Duff is amazing yet again, handling another fascinating complex multifaceted character; as is Kristen Scott Thomas as the contrasting aunt – credit to her for ensuring she is not just a dichotomy. There was another member of the cast that I enjoyed watching and would like to see again – the great city of Liverpool.

Elspeth Rushbrook
www.myspace.com/elspethr

Nowhere Boy trailer:

Filed Under: Uncategorized

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

WATCH OUR MOVIE NOW FOR FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Sirens from Space: Species and Under The Skin

Ten Controversial Movies and the Drama Around Them

Essential Gothic Horror Movies To Scare You Senseless

13 Underrated Horror Franchise Sequels That Deserve More Love

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark Revisited: The Birth of a Horror Icon

PM Entertainment and the Art of Rip-offs With Razzmatazz

American Psycho at 25: The Story Behind the Satirical Horror Classic

The Essential New French Extremity Movies

Ten Unmade Film Masterpieces

Six Overhated Modern Horror Movies

Top Stories:

Movie Review – The Shrouds (2025)

Comic Book Preview – Marvel Swimsuit Special: Friends, Foes & Rivals

Back to the Future at 40: The Story Behind the Pop Culture Touchstone

8 Great Tarantino-esque Movies You Need To See

Movie Review – Hot Milk (2025)

Movie Review – Heads of State (2025)

Movie Review – The Old Guard 2 (2025)

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey gets a first teaser poster

STREAM FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

FEATURED POSTS:

10 Great Action Movies from 1995

Great 90s Neo-Noir Movies You Might Have Missed

Dust in the Eye: Ten Tear-Jerking Moments in Action Movies

Great Director’s Cuts That Are Better Than The Original Theatrical Versions

Our Partners

  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

© Flickering Myth Limited. All rights reserved. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. Movie titles, images, etc. are registered trademarks / copyright their respective rights holders. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you can read this, you don't need glasses.


 

Flickering MythLogo Header Menu
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket