Review of Nowhere Boy (2009) by Wim H — 26 Nov 2013

A quiet, stirring film about the heartbreak and loss that fueled John Lennon's music, Nowhere boy does not focus on music as much as it does on John's relationships with the two parental figures in his life: his mother and his aunt Mimi.

His mother abandoned him as a young child and it was not until his teenage years that he developed an unbalanced, flirtatious relationship with her that taught him to love rock and roll. His strong-willed aunt Mimi raised him during his years of helpless abandonment and the feud between these two women nearly tears John apart.

The quietly emotional scenes are where Nowhere Boy works best, and Aaron Johnson truly holds his own at the center of the film. Although unlikely, a sequel that covers John's rise to fame would be more than welcome.