Nowhere Boy

Nowhere Boy

I think I am losing my mind. I was interested in seeing this film. I love the Beatles music and know very little about the life of John Lenin .The Beatles are historical in the music world and it is always fascinating to find out the background of someone famous.

Halfway through the film I felt I had already seen it. I recognized some of the scenes. I came home and checked my Film Festival notes. It wasn’t there. Perhaps I saw a preview but it was weird seeing a film I recognized but couldn’t recall having seen.

We first meet young John as a teenager at school. He is always in trouble with the head master. In fact it was the headmaster who told John that he ‘would go nowhere.’ At first I thought he was living with his parents. I soon learned that the woman was his Aunt Mimi. She was always stern and doer in her look. I sensed she really cared for John but didn’t overtly show it. The man of the house was Uncle George. John and George had such a good time together. No wonder John was heart broken when his uncle suddenly died. John hugs Aunt Minnie after George’s death and she brushes John aside and says,”Let’s not be silly.”

A young buddy helps John to find his mother, Julia, who it seems only lives across a big field. She is a very attractive woman but extremely child like and silly. She has had mental problems in the past and is living with her caring husband and two adorable daughters. She is actually Aunt Minnie’s sister but the two have nothing to do with one another.

John builds up a relationship with his mother, Julia and she encourages him to do whatever he wants and accepts his bad behavior at school. She actually flirts with John and acts inappropriately for a mother. She does encourage him with his music. She loves music and likes to sing. Julia’s husband doesn’t like the relationship.

John is pulled between the loyalty for Aunt Mimi and his need to be with his mother.

John is interested in music and starts a rock and roll band. At one point Aunt Mimi sells his guitar because he was suspended from school. Later she becomes more congenial and is proud of John.

This is a good story of a young man growing up and trying to find himself. He is torn between wanting to be with his real mother and appreciating all that his Aunt Mimi did to bring him up.

We are never told that the small rock and roll group goes on to greatness. The film deals with the teen age years of John Lenin. Aaron Johnson does a great job in the role of John Lenin. Kristin Scott-Thomas is also great as the stern Aunt Mimi. Anne Marie Duff plays Julia, the mother. The cast all performs well.

It is a touching story. All viewers are aware of the great success of John Lenin as an adult. Probably very few knew anything about him as a young lad.