Reviews
The Independent
Anthony Quinn
"If the film feels a little too indulgent, a little too much in love with the young man, I'd argue that Lennon earned the indulgence, and more than earned the love. This study of a boy damaged by loss yet determined to honour his talent strikes a mighty chord, and marks a hugely promising feature debut."
18/12/2009
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The Sunday Times
Cosmos Landesman
"The reason Nowhere Boy works so well is that it’s not one of those “before they were famous” films; nor does it tackle the birth of pop music in Britain. It’s more about a boy than a Beatle."
27/12/2009
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The Observer
Philip French
"We see him getting banjo lessons from Julia, buying his first guitar, forming the Quarrymen, giving himself an Elvis hairdo, switching to Buddy Holly-style hornrims, meeting Paul McCartney, being refused entry to the Cavern. But rather than dwelling on the unique circumstances that produced a musical genius, it's an affecting movie about coming of age and leaving home, and about the radical changes in British life since the Second World War."
27/12/2009
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The Spectator
Deborah Ross
"We are never shown how this discombobulating, tortured childhood informed him as a creative genius. The film is competent — absolutely — but it isn’t sufficiently stylised to be anything other than yet another kitchen-sink drama, which is why your socks are going to stay firmly put."
14/12/2009
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Sight & Sound
Trevor Johnston
"Polished as it is, Nowhere Boy lacks the genuine tang of the early rock 'n' roll years that, say, Claude Whatham's That'll Be the Day managed from its rather closer vantage point of 1973. This is a very decent effort for a first-time director, but given the auteurist expectations created by Taylor-Wood's track record in the art world, it's hard to discern a distinctively personal take on the material, or indeed the medium."
01/01/2010
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Empire Magazine
Ian Freer
"Anchored by a strong central turn, Nowhere Boy crafts entertaining, small-scale drama out of Lennon’s huge-sized legend. It just lacks the spark and ambition of its subject."
10/01/2010
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The Guardian
Peter Bradshaw
"Aaron Johnson gives a perfectly decent performance as Lennon, and if he seems a little out of his depth – well, maybe that's because Lennon himself was out of his depth at this stage in his life. Inevitably, the action centres on John – and Julia and Mimi, who are, by rights, the movie's real stars, get relegated to supporting roles. Nonetheless, this is a handsome film made with real flair."
17/12/2009
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The Independent on Sunday
Nicholas Barber
"There's certainly the material there for a challenging coming-of-age drama, but Nowhere Boy is no more than a typical celebrity biopic, the kind you might see on BBC4, without any of the flair you might hope for from Taylor-Wood and Greenhalgh."
20/12/2009
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