Nowhere Boy

The highly anticipated feature debut from artist Sam Taylor-Wood, Nowhere Boy is a sensitive and sprightly look at the formative years of one of Britain's cultural icons.

Liverpool 1955, and 15-year-old John Lennon is a teenager hungry for experience. Since the age of five he has been brought up by his Aunt Mimi, who seems to be the epitome of respectability. John is a bit of a rebel though, and when he meets his mother Julia, he forms an instant bond with her. Mimi likes to listen to Tchaikovsky, but Julia prefers Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and after she takes John to see an Elvis film at the local cinema, he's a convert to the world of rock'n'roll. He's bewitched by Julia, and she by him, but their reconnection provokes a great deal of friction between the two women, with John caught in the middle. Yearning for a less troubled life, he escapes into music, starting a band with a group of friends, and finding a kindred spirit when he meets Paul McCartney. Just as he begins his new life, further tragedy strikes, but by then he's found his voice…

Written by Matt Greenhalgh (Control) and based on Julia Baird's Imagine This: Growing Up with My Brother John Lennon, the film has no shortage of witticisms to lighten the drama, and of course there's music too, judiciously used, from the period and from Lennon and McCartney's early repertoire. Decidedly a love story rather than a John Lennon biopic, Nowhere Boy nevertheless provides a wealth of imaginatively presented insights into what fuelled his musical genius.

It's great credit to Sam Taylor-Wood that she has made a film of broad appeal while retaining an assured authorial signature. Her experience of working with actors in her previous film and photographic work pays off, with tremendous performances from all the key cast, and her collaboration with cinematographer Seamus McGarvey gives the film a visual beauty which underscores its considerable emotional heart.

Sandra Hebron