Any attempt to dramatise the life of a cultural legend like John Lennon runs the risk of alienating a vast fanbase that has put The Beatles' frontman on an unimaginably high pedestal. Fortunately Sam Taylor-Wood's Nowhere Boy, which studies the singer's early life, succeeds (for the most part). Based loosely on a biography of Lennon written by his half-sister Julia Baird, it's a touching tale that, despite occasionally leaning on an overly cutesy indie cinema vibe, features several truly awe-inspiring performances. Anne-Marie Duff and Kristin Scott Thomas (Julia Lennon and Mimi Smith respectively) were both nominated for Oscars, and they steal the show here. Aaron Johnson and Thomas Sangster are very good as Lennon and Paul McCartney, but it's undoubtedly the female actors that steal the show here. This film merits selection simply because it is a musical biopic that refuses to bow to audience desires for an in-depth study of The Beatles "famous years". Instead, it illuminates a rarely exposed side of Lennon's life.
