Nowhere Boy

Any true Beatles fan knows that John Lennon wrote “Julia” and, well, “Mother” for his mother … Julia. In this directorial debut from Sam Taylor-Wood, Aaron Johnson plays Lennon, pre-Fab Four, reuniting with his mother (Anne-Marie Duff) after years of living with his Aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas). Johnson proves to be perfect casting, capturing the essence of Lennon without doing a straight impersonation. Thomas is equally good as Mimi, a good influence in Lennon’s young life, even if she is sometimes overly strict. The film’s major revelation is Duff, who steals every one of her scenes. Her characterization contains the kind of quirks one would expect to see in the mother of John Lennon. The film leaves off right before Beatlemania sets in; I, for one, would love to see this crew tackle the next chapter in Lennon’s life.