The Beatles Anthology (2025 Expanded/Restored Edition)

 

Directed by Bob Smeaton, Geoff Wonfor, and Oliver Murray and written by Bob Smeaton and Oliver Murray, The Beatles Anthology is a multi-part TV documentary series about the life and career of the Beatles featuring archival footage, rare audio, and interviews with the then-surviving members of the Beatles in the mid-1990s. The film breaks down events in the individual lives of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr along with perspectives from personnel who were around the band at the time. Even as the surviving members would create new music with demos from John Lennon during the making of the documentary. Expanded in 2025 based on VHS/DVD expanded releases from the late 1990s/early 2000s with a new episode directed by Bob Smeaton, the newly remastered and expanded edition of the documentary series showcases missing gaps from the story of the Beatles as well as showcase rare footage from the mid-1990s of McCartney, Harrison, and Starr creating new music to Lennon’s demos. The result is a tremendously rich and intoxicating documentary series about one of the greatest music acts of the 20th century as they tell their own story.

From their formation in 1960 to their dissolution in 1970, the Beatles were four lads from Liverpool who changed the world with their music as they became a cultural phenomenon. For years, the story of the Beatles had been told by many following their break-up and John Lennon’s death in 1980. However, the story has often been told by outsiders who had seen their ascent from afar but not from the band themselves where in 1991 following years legal and personal strife. The then-surviving members in Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr decided to do a documentary series where they would tell the story of the Beatles from their words and perspective as well as archival footage from Lennon before his passing. Along with interviews from associates close to the Beatles including music producer George Martin, longtime assistant/road manager Neil Aspinall, and press officer Derek Taylor. The project that would become The Beatles Anthology would be a multi-media project featuring a TV documentary series, a book, and a trilogy of double-albums featuring rare and unreleased material including two new songs in Free as a Bird and Real Love based on cassette demos Lennon made back in the late 1970s.

Through archival footage, newsreels, clips from various TV performances, music videos, films, and other material including some rare footage, the original broadcast of the TV documentary series was shown in three episodes each with a 2-hour running time although it did not tell the whole story. Then in 1996 through VHS cassette tapes and Laserdisc, the documentary series was expanded into eight episodes as it would later be released on the DVD format in 2003. The documentary series has McCartney, Harrison, Starr, Martin, Aspinall, and Taylor talking about the Beatles and their ascent into mega-stardom as well as the difficulties of success and chaos of Beatlemania during the mid-1960s. The narrative does tell a lot into the many periods of the Beatles though it ends in August of 1969 where the band did a final photoshoot where it would be the last time all four men were in a room or a location together. The series does not dwell too much into the break-up and the official announcement of their dissolution in 1970 as it was a subject that the surviving members of the Beatles were uncomfortable talking about at length.

With the aid of cinematographer Eugene O’Connor, directors Bob Smeaton, Geoff Wonfor, and Oliver Murray would have the surviving Beatles talk in certain places whether it is McCartney on a tugboat or in the woods, Starr in Los Angeles, and Harrison in his home in London. The interviews that are conducted by Smeaton and musician Jools Holland are fascinating as it highlights the three members in casual moments including scenes at Harrison’s home where all three members would talk casually including some bits where they would play a bit of music. There are also these inserts with audio from the band’s BBC interviews with deejay Brian Matthews that are shown in a typical bedroom in Britain during the heyday of Beatlemania. Editor/sound supervisor Andy Matthews, along with sound editor Danny Longhurst would gather a lot of the footage and audio tapes used from the past including archival interviews Lennon made during the 1970s to get things from his perspective.

The ninth episode of the series from Bob Smeaton is about the making of the project with interviews from McCartney, Harrison, Starr, Martin, Aspinall, and Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra who would produce the new songs the Beatles made through Lennon’s demo tapes. The episode also highlight the band creating new songs through the demos yet their attempt for Now and Then was hampered by the technology they had at the time in which Harrison was the one who stopped the recording. The series is overall restored by the people at Wingnut which is the same company from Peter Jackson who worked and restored footage for the 2021 documentary film Get Back. While there are bits from the original broadcast cut out, a lot of it is minor as it does not do much to change the story the band is telling. The music is also restored thanks to the work of music supervisor Giles Martin through the MAL audio-learning device.

The Beatles Anthology is a magnificent documentary series from Bob Smeaton, Geoff Wonfor, and Oliver Murray. It is a series that fans of the Beatles should see as it is a documentary series that allows the Beatles to tell their story. Even as they go into depth over stories of moments in their lives of the Beatles even though it is an incomplete story due to their reluctance in talking about the things that led to their break-up. Still, the documentary series does allow audiences to hear the story of the Fab Four along with a few who were around the cultural zeitgeist that were the Beatles. In the end, The Beatles Anthology is an outstanding documentary series about the Beatles.

The Beatles: The Albums: Please Please Me - With the Beatles - A Hard Day's Night - Beatles for Sale - Help! - Rubber Soul - Revolver - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Magical Mystery Tour - The White Album - Yellow Submarine OST - Abbey Road - Let It Be

Compilations: (1962-1966) - (1967-1970) - Past Masters - (Live at the BBC) - (Anthology 1) - (Anthology 2) - (Anthology 3) - (1) - (Let It Be… Naked) - (Love) - (Anthology 4)

The Beatles Films: (A Hard Day’s Night) – (Help!) – Magical Mystery Tour - (Yellow Submarine) – Let It Be - The Beatles: Get Back

Related: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Across the Universe - Nowhere Boy - George Harrison: Living in the Material World - Good Ol' Freda - (Eight Days a Week-The Touring Years) – (Beatles ’64) – (The Beatles: John) – (The Beatles: Paul) – (The Beatles: George) – (The Beatles: Ringo)

© thevoid99 2025

The Beatles Bio-Pics: 10 Things I Wish for the Beatles Film Series

 

If there was ever the story of someone monumental that people want to see on the big screen, it would have to be an audacious project. A film about the Beatles would fit that description but one film covering the lives of John, Paul, George, and Ringo would impossibly considering that the story of the Beatles do not play into the conventions of what is expected in a bio-pic. News about a bio-pic on the Beatles have been told over many years but in February of last year. British director Sam Mendes announced plans to direct and produce not one but four films about the Beatles with each film told from the perspective of one of the Beatles. It is an idea that could work in which audiences can see period of the Beatles be shown by one of them and another period from another Beatle.

This is the right way to go and with the announcement of the four actors to play the Beatles in Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr. The potential for something astronomical is happening yet this is only the beginning as the film is set for an April 2028 release. Still, there is a long way to go in not just writing the script on all four films but also the approach into the narrative of the Beatles on where to start and where to end. There is also no announcement about who else will be in the film. There are a lot of things audiences want to see in these films about the Beatles as I have produced a list of 10 things I want to see in these four films about the Beatles.

1. Balanced Perspectives of the Period from the Beatles

If one were to make a film about the Beatles told from the perspective of one member of the Beatles. Each film must share a similar running time but also coverage of how they saw things from a certain period of the band’s career. The idea of how Ringo saw things when he was officially part of the band, and the early days of Beatlemania would have him deal with sudden fame and such could be an example. In John’s story, it could be the third film in how he coped with the death of the band’s manager Brian Epstein, his failing marriage to Cynthia Powell, and how he met Yoko is another idea. There are many ways the story of the Beatles could be told as there is a period of 13 years from their formation to their dissolution that could split into four parts. The thing that needs to work is that each film must have a strong narrative to see how all four of these men saw things.

2. Not Playing into Traditional and Cliched Bio-Pic Narratives

Music bio-pics have become big hits in the box office although not everyone is happy about it as some claim that these films are Wikipedia pages on films that tells a basic element of the story but not the whole story. With the Beatles, a traditional narrative does not work because there is so much ground to cover not just the music, they were making but also the cultural impact they had on the world. Jake Kasdan’s 2007 spoof film Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story made fun of those conventional narrative takes to the point that recent films such as Bohemian Rhapsody on Queen, Baz Luhrmann’s film about Elvis Presley, and the recent film on Bob Marley in Bob Marley: One Love play too heavily in these traditional narratives where an artist rises, falls, alienates certain people, make a comeback, and then die.

With the Beatles, it does not work in that way as films such as Todd Haynes’ anti bio-pic on Bob Dylan in I’m Not There and Oren Moverman’s film on Brian Wilson in Love & Mercy strayed from those narratives. With the Beatles, they do not fit into those conventions and condensing certain things about parts of the band’s story would be upsetting to fans of the Beatles. Since it is also likely to not be a conventional bio-pic, this would allow Mendes and his crew to present the film in different ways in terms of its photography and film formats.

3. The Presentation of the Music

Music rights have been a particular issue in why certain films about artists could not be made though some have attempted to make films without the music of that artist as the 2020 film Stardust about David Bowie’s first trip to America in 1971 was poorly-received as one of its faults was that the filmmakers were refused permission to use his music by Bowie’s estate including Bowie’s son Duncan Jones. Mendes is fortunate that he is working with Apple Corp Ltd. CEO Jeff Jones in the film as he will get to use the music of the Beatles. Yet, Mendes does need to avoid making the four films into a musical jukebox as every fan knows the hits but there are also album tracks and deep cuts that the fans would want to hear.

Another thing that Mendes wants to avoid is what Baz Luhrmann did with his Elvis movie had other artists interpret the Beatles as the result of what Luhrmann did polarized audiences as some of those songs were used with modern equipment including Autotune that must have angered fans of Presley. While it is likely that Giles Martin would be involved in the music as he had been remastering and remixing the original recordings with the MAL software. The music of the Beatles must be presented with great respect in a way that a new generation can be introduced to this great music.

4. A Strong Supporting Cast in the Roles of the Fifth Beatles

A film about the Beatles would need to have people to play certain parts as the story of the Beatles is incomplete without the involvement of those who played major roles in their ascent. Notably the role of the Fifth Beatle as there are several individuals who are all important in what they did for the band. Obviously, the films must include Beatles manager Brian Epstein and Beatles producer George Martin as they were instrumental into their ascent in different parts of the Beatles’ inner circle. Then there are people like longtime assistants in Neil Aspinall and Mal Evans, engineers Norman Smith and Geoff Emerick, publicist Derek Taylor, fan club president Freda Kelly, publisher Dick James, and Billy Preston. It is one thing to play one of the Beatles but for anyone to play these individuals would be a major coup as there is a dream ensemble that can be made for this. My choice for George Martin would be Benedict Cumberbatch and Maisie Williams as Freda Kelly.

5. Humor

If there is anything that the Beatles are known for throughout their career, it is the fact that they never took themselves seriously. They were always providing a sense of fun and joy in what they did. Part of the problem with some bio-pics is that there is not enough humor and everything is taken seriously. The Beatles are known for not taking themselves seriously through the films they made as well as the press conference they did when they first arrived in America. The Beatles story must have moments that can get audiences to laugh along with some jokes every now and then. Even in some of the stories about some of the people they met where there could be a funny moment where the band met Bob Dylan who introduced them to marijuana. There also could be moments in the recording studio as it plays into the sense of fun as there were a lot of those funny moments in The Beatles: Get Back.

I do have one request for the film regarding humor in which there is a moment where Sgt. Pepper is about to release where someone in the band or in their inner circle say, “I hate to be the sod that has to release the record on the same day as this”. It then cuts to people at the record shop getting the album while a young man is there sitting on a chair trying to sell his own debut album. That young bloke is… David Bowie.

6. Maintaining a Sense of Authenticity into the Small Details

One thing about bio-pics that annoy the fuck out of me is inaccuracy. Watching some of these bio-pics about certain artist has me seeing things where I am like “wait a minute, that did not happen.” Other things include the instruments the musicians play where there was a moment in Bohemian Rhapsody where the band is playing the song Another One Bites the Dust and Brian May is playing a Gibson Les Paul and I was like… “I do not remember him playing a Gibson Les Paul” and anyone who knew about Queen knew that May played a few guitar models including his Red Special but never a Gibson Les Paul. It is among these things that these four films must understand, which is why there must be a consultant for these things. Otherwise, you would have fans nitpick over every little detail over what instrument the band played and what model. People do take this shit seriously as it is something these four films must avoid as Mendes is likely to be aware of what he needs to do and what not to do.

Then there is the fact that these films will be set in the 1960s as it is not just in the models of the guitars, bass, drums, and keyboards that was used but also the recording equipment in those times. There are also some famous locations that the Beatles were famous for such as the Cavern Club which is still around although it is unlikely that they could shoot scenes in that film. There are a lot of things that Mendes and his crew need to do to recreate that sense of

7. A Fair and Balanced Portrayal of Yoko Ono and the Spouses/Girlfriends of the Beatles

Once considered to be the villain of the Beatles story in an unfair way, Yoko Ono fortunately has gained apologies from fans over the years of her involvement in John Lennon’s life and being in the Beatles recording sessions because John wanted her there. Ono is a key figure of the story of the Beatles as someone that did play a sense of discord of how the band did things back then, but she was never this disruptive figure when it came to the band making music. Peter Jackson’s documentary The Beatles: Get Back destroyed the myth of Ono breaking up with the Beatles as the band’s break-up was more complicated than just someone’s girlfriend involved. Ono is likely to be a major character in the film the roles of the Pattie Boyd, Maureen Starkey, Linda McCartney, Cynthia Powell, and other women in the lives of the Beatles are likely to be minor, but they must be told with respect as a few of them were in the recording while Maureen Starkey should be known as the #1 fan of the Beatles. Thanks Mo!

8. Not Being Afraid to Show the Flaws of the Individual Members

Bio-pics often skirt around certain things about the individual they are exploring as they often delve into parody like Walk Hard in which Dewey Cox goes to rehab as he needs more blankets, less blankets, and more and less blankets. The Beatles themselves are flawed individuals as I am sure that Mendes has been able to talk to McCartney, Starr, Olivia Harrison, and John Lennon’s estate about the portrayal of themselves. Lennon was known for having an attitude while McCartney was often seen as bossy. While Walk Hard had a scene of Cox and his band meeting the Beatles who are portrayed in the most exaggerated and humorous ways.

That film succeeded in playing into Lennon and McCartney’s ego with Harrison wanting more songs on the album and Starr trying to get his input into the music. It could be told in a humorous way, but it should not skirt the fact that these men are human and had their bad moments. It would at least allow the audience to see these men as just four guys from Liverpool who made it big but also had a hard time with fame and their own responsibilities as men. Plus, they were not those clean-cut boys that were the object of affection for teenyboppers. These were four foul-mouthed assholes from Liverpool but that is why people love them.

9. No Stupid Stunt-Casting on Smaller Roles

Last year saw the release of the Brian Epstein bio-pic Midas Man starring Jacob Lloyd-Fortune as Epstein that also featured the much-reviled late night talk show host Jay Leno as Ed Sullivan. The film has not been seen widely by audiences while it has also received criticism from fans of the Beatles as the idea of Leno as Ed Sullivan is just poor stunt-casting. Since this film is going to be set in the 1960s where it would feature actors playing roles like Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Kinks, and many others, the Beatles met along the way. It would be annoying if there is a certain celebrity in playing a certain part though I do have an idea of having Tom Hanks play the role of Ed Sullivan is something I would not mind. Yet, it should be kept to a minimum as the idea of a popular celebrity in today’s world playing someone like Mick Jagger would be distracting.

10. PLAY IT FUCKING LOUD!

When it comes to the Beatles, the fact that these four films will be released simultaneously as part of a cinematic binge is a way to get people in the movie theaters and just lose themselves. Since the pandemic, it has been slow for people to find a reason to go to the cinema as there has not been a lot of excitement with streaming being the thing where people can watch a film and stay home. Yet, what Mendes is hoping to create is something different as there has not been a major cinematic event in years that can get people to go the movie theaters. More importantly, the fact that these four films will be about one of the greatest acts in popular music has to be more than just a cinematic event.

It must be grand in the way that Barbenheimer was in the summer of 2023 where audiences got to see 2 different films in Barbie and Oppenheimer. Yet, this feels a lot bigger as it must be seen on the biggest screen possible with the loudest sound available. This is not fucking rocket science! This is motherfucking rock n’ roll! A film in which the audience can sing-along to these old songs with people of all ages. From those who saw them back in the 1960s to the kids who were given 1 greatest hits album from the Beatles in 2000. This is a chance for audiences to experience something that few people have experienced as this might be the last thing that Paul and Ringo will offer to the world.

© thevoid99 2025

Let It Be (2024 Restoration)

 

Directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Let It Be is a documentary film about the Beatles’ attempt to make a new album in January of 1969 that would eventually lead to their final public performance in front of an audience. The film is a look into a period in which the Fab Four attempt to make new music for an upcoming concert film that was never meant to be amidst musical and personal tension within the group. Also featuring appearances from George Martin, Billy Preston, Yoko Ono, Linda Eastman, Glyn Johns, Mal Evans, Maureen Starkey, and Heather Eastman. The result is a film that explores a band trying to become a band again and have fun.

Set in January of 1969, the film follows the Beatles creating new songs in the hopes they would return to performing live in front of an audience as they would record and rehearse in two different studios that would climax with what would be their final public live performance. Yet, the film shows a band struggling to create new songs as the first sessions at Twickenham Studios where there is a brief argument between Paul McCartney and George Harrison. The sessions would move to Apple Studios where things are more relaxed and livelier as it would include Billy Preston playing the electric keyboard along with a visit from Paul’s then-girlfriend Linda Eastman and her daughter Heather who would play around in one of the sessions. It would then climax into a concert where the band would play on the rooftop of Apple Studios as it would be their last public concert ever.

That is the premise of the film in the span of 80 minutes but given the fact that it was released on May 13, 1970, just five days after the release of the album of the same name. It came out amidst a dark cloud in which the Beatles had just broken up a month earlier as well as a dour presentation of the film as it was shot originally on 16mm in a 1:33:1 aspect ratio, meant for television, as it would be blown up into 35mm as the film had a grainy look that really added to the bleakness relating to the Beatles’ break-up. It would create this myth of a film that was a total downer as it would not be shown publicly since the early 1980s as it would be bootlegged by Beatles fans where footage of the film would be shown in the Anthology documentary series in the mid-1990s. The myth of the documentary about how it played during the Beatles break-up would continue with its director Michael Lindsay-Hogg getting much of the blame. Yet, it should be noted that Lindsay-Hogg along with editors Tony Lenny, Graham Gilding, and Peter Hollywood had to make the film under the most troubling circumstances when the band was making their final album Abbey Road as well as finding new management that did play into their break-up.

Then came Get Back by Peter Jackson that took the 56 hours of footage that Lindsay-Hogg and cinematographer Anthony Richmond had shot where the myth about the dark mood of these sessions were found to be untrue. While there were moments of tension that did lead to George Harrison’s brief departure from the band during the Twickenham sessions. What Jackson discovered was a band just trying to become a band again as there is more context into what was happening in these 22 days. The resulting 2021 documentary in Get Back did not just correct a small piece of history relating to the Beatles but also destroying a myth about that period. In this 2024 restoration that is supervised by Peter Jackson with a new music remix by Giles Martin and Sam Okell comes a film that is given a new life.

Presented in fully realized colors that brings a lot of beauty to Anthony Richmond’s cinematography along with a broader sound that was originally recorded by Peter Sutton. The documentary showcases a band that is trying to create these new songs while having some fun as there is footage in the film that wasn’t in Jackson’s documentary such as a performance of Besame Mucho as well as scenes from the last recording session where the band performed Two of Us, Let It Be, and The Long and Winding Road before they would be re-produced to horrific results by Phil Spector for the 1970 album. Given that it was filmed on the last day, but it was not the final sequence of the film does bring some confusion to the film’s narrative without the context that was shown in Get Back as one of the issues of this film is some continuity in the editing. There are scenes where Paul and George are wearing a different shirt or sweater in one scene and then there is a jump-cut where they are wearing something entirely different while John Lennon is still wearing a purple/pink T-shirt with a black vest over it.

Thankfully, the narrative that Lindsay-Hogg was able to provide showed a band just making music and enjoying themselves as the climatic final performance is the highlight of the film. Performing five songs with Get Back played twice in the film, it does show a band having some fun until the police arrive to stop the show as the film ends. The 2024 restoration does open with a brief conversation between Peter Jackson and Michael Lindsay-Hogg about the film’s restoration with Lindsay-Hogg feeling vindicated that the film is given a second chance.

Let It Be is a spectacular film by Michael Lindsay-Hogg. While it is only a fragmented look into 22 days in the life of the Beatles trying to create new music that would lead to their final public performance. It still displays this brief glimpse of a band trying to be a band again instead of something bigger that has overwhelmed them. In this new restoration from Peter Jackson, the film is not just given a new life but also helps complete a small piece of a puzzle that played into the story of the Beatles and dispel myths about that period. In the end, Let It Be is a sensational film from Michael Lindsay-Hogg.

The Beatles: The Albums: Please Please Me - With the Beatles - A Hard Day's Night - Beatles for Sale - Help! - Rubber Soul - Revolver - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Magical Mystery Tour - The White Album - Yellow Submarine OST - Abbey Road - Let It Be

Compilations: (1962-1966) - (1967-1970) - Past Masters - (Live at the BBC) - (Anthology 1) - (Anthology 2) - (Anthology 3) - (1) - (Let It Be… Naked) - (Love) - (Anthology 4)

The Beatles Films: (A Hard Day’s Night) – (Help!) – Magical Mystery Tour - (Yellow Submarine) – The Beatles Anthology – The Beatles: Get Back

Related: The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Across the Universe - Nowhere Boy - George Harrison: Living in the Material World - Good Ol' Freda - (Eight Days a Week-The Touring Years)

Peter Jackson Films: (Bad Taste) – (Meet the Feebles) – (Braindead) – (Heavenly Creatures) – (Forgotten Silver) – (The Frighteners) – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers) - (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) – (King Kong (2005 film)) – (The Lovely Bones) – (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) – (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) – (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) – (They Shall Grow Old Together)

© thevoid99 2024

The Beatles: Get Back

 

Directed by Peter Jackson, The Beatles: Get Back is a documentary film series that expands on the footage with hours of unreleased material that didn’t make it to the 1970 Michael Lindsay-Hogg documentary film Let It Be about the band’s attempt to make a new album in January of 1969 that culminated with their final live performance to the public. The documentary that features newly-remastered footage as well as material that expands the rarely-seen Lindsay-Hogg documentary from 80 minutes to nearly 8 hours of material. The result is an astonishing and rapturous film from Peter Jackson that manages to bring some new revelations into the story of the Beatles in their final year as a band.

It’s January of 1969 as it had more than a year since the death of their manager Brian Epstein and more than two years since the band had played live to the public as a recent filming for the promotional video for the single Hey Jude where the band was surrounded by an audience gave them an idea. The idea would be for John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr to create new songs for an upcoming concert appearance to be filmed on television in the span of a few weeks as Starr is set to leave to act in a film project for Apple Corps in The Magic Christian with Peter Sellers. The project called Get Back is an attempt of the four to become a band again and to create new music without overdubs and edits and the new songs to be performed live.

Told in the span of 22 days, the film that became Let It Be as it hadn’t been shown publically since the 1980s showcased a fragment of what was happening as it was released to coincide the album of the same name which was released at the time when the Beatles had called it quits. Nearly 50 years later since the release of the film and album of the same name, filmmaker Peter Jackson went into the vaults where he found more than 60 hours of footage and 150 hours of audio that hadn’t been heard as his discovery of the footage along with restoration work lead to revelations of what was really happening in these 22 days. Amidst all of the turmoil and tension that was looming throughout the band over creative differences as well as the lack of leadership when it comes to business. There was still this air of joy of these four men from Liverpool who not only loved making music but also wanted to be a band again instead of this brand that was already recognizable and at times, too big.

Broken into three parts, the film breaks the month into the three settings and events in the course of these 22 days as it does follow the narrative of Let It Be where the first act is about the disastrous sessions at Twickenham Studios that lead to Harrison briefly quitting the band, the second act being about the band moving to Apple Studios on Saville Road and Billy Preston’s arrival, and the third act being the rooftop concert which would be their final performance and the last session of the project afterwards. What Jackson does is follow that narrative but reveal so much more to the story as it is more about a band trying to become a band again and create new songs while showcasing the work that goes through in creating a song. The first part of the film is devoted entirely to the band at Twickenham Studios where they had shot the video for Hey Jude as it would be used as a rehearsal/recording space where the band would try to create a bunch of new songs for a TV special where the band would play to a live audience with these new songs with Glyn Johns being the main producer and the band’s longtime producer George Martin sort of being the executive producer though Johns and Martin were both unsure of the roles they’re playing.

Among the people who are seen throughout the film is filmmaker Michael Lindsay-Hogg, cinematographer Anthony Richmond, longtime road manager/assistant Mal Evans, Yoko Ono, Linda Eastman, and roadie Kevin Harrington. Ono’s presence in the film reveals that she did nothing to disrupt the band creatively as she mainly kept herself quiet while knitting a few things, doing a bit of art, and all sorts of things and only speaks up whenever McCartney and Starr wanted an opinion from her. McCartney would comment in the film about the press and how vicious they are following Harrison’s brief departure with claims that Lennon and Harrison got into a fight (untrue) and knowing that Ono would be the scapegoat as McCartney made the famous joke that the band broke up because Ono sat on an amp. What Jackson is able to reveal in Ono’s role not only redeems her but also reveal that she was treated greatly by the other members of the band as there was a brief shot of her and Linda Eastman giggling in the first part of the film.

The second part at Apple Studios doesn’t just showcase a band trying to enjoy playing together and get some new ideas for songs but also reveal how Billy Preston got to be involved as he was in London doing a few TV appearances as he was someone the band met back in Hamburg in 1962 when he was playing for Little Richard. The band asked if he could just jam with them and his role in playing organs and the electric piano not only liven up the music but also the band themselves. The film also showcases idea of music theory and how accomplished Preston was in that as the Beatles themselves weren’t accomplished in music theory as his role did a lot to give them new musical ideas. The jams are also a key component to how songs are made where the band play covers for the fun of it and then get an idea for a song as it among these little things that inspires them.

The film also reveal other moments during the first and second part as it relates to business as there’s an appearance from the band’s publisher Dick James on the songs he acquired for the band’s Northern Songs catalog as it is a rare moment where they were seen with James in a cordial way instead of the other stories into their relationship that ultimately led to James selling Northern Songs to ATV without the band’s consent. Other Beatle cohorts/Apple officials such as longtime assistant/Apple Corps chief Neil Aspinall, publicist Derek Taylor, and Apple Films producer Denis O’Dell also appear in the film talking about business with Lennon talking about having the Rolling Stones’ then-manager Allen Klein as their new manager. There’s a scene in the third part where Lennon and Harrison have a conversation about Klein that lead to the band’s first meeting with him which is one of several scenes not filmed including an audio conversation between Lennon and McCartney late in the first part.

The third part of the film where its climax is the rooftop performance does feature some enjoyable moments involving Linda’s daughter Heather who would have some conversations with John, play additional percussions with Starr, and even do her own imitation of Ono in a version of Dig It. Mal Evans is a key player in the songs in banging the hammer on an anvil for Maxwell’s Silver Hammer as well as provide additional percussions on a song which showcases why he is an important figure to the band. Even as he would do whatever he can to stall the cops during the rooftop concert as Jackson shows the concert in real-time from the reaction of the people on the streets to those complaining and the police trying to understand what is going on. Yet, the concert also reveals the level of excitement from Starr’s wife Maureen Starkey who got a closer look in watching the band perform live while was also jovial upon listening to the recordings of the songs.

Since the original film by Michael Lindsay-Hogg and shot by Anthony Richmond on 16mm film that was originally meant for television as it lead to the grainy look of Let It Be. Jackson along with Damian McDonnell on the restoration work with additional visuals from Darwin Go not only manage to flesh out much of Richmond’s photography but also reveal something vibrant in how the footage at Twickenham looks as well as the scenes in Apple Studios and the rooftop concert. The footage of those scenes from the film plus the newly-discovered footage add a bigger scope from the 1:33:1 aspect ratio of Let It Be to the broader 1:78:1 aspect ratio as well as showcasing multiple perspectives during the rooftop concert in three split-screens with editor Jabez Olssen not only creating this real-time perspective of the band, the audience, and police at this concert but also the reaction from the people on the street and on the roof of other buildings nearby. Olssen’s editing in the footage that had been released also does more in showcasing the energy of the recordings as well as some montages and small moments such as Starr giving Ono gum which she split with Lennon.

Sound editors Brent Burge and Martin Kwok, with music mixing by Giles Martin and Sam Okell, do incredible in cultivating the 150 hours of audio with in capturing the many outtakes and versions of some of the songs by the band along with some future solo songs from Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison. The mixing in those songs have a lot of breath into how an instrument sounds as Martin’s contribution is crucial as he has been the one overseeing all of the remastering and such of the Beatles’ music that his father George had produced.

For a film with an eight-hour running time that has been broken in three parts, Jackson has managed to create something that is immersive as it showcases a moment in history that is corrected after years and legends that have been told about that period. Yet, there is also an element of melancholia that looms in the film knowing that the band would break up in the year to come with several people in the film that are no longer here. John Lennon, George Harrison, George Martin, Mal Evans, Neil Aspinall, Derek Taylor, Billy Preston, Dick James, Linda McCartney, and Maureen Starkey have all passed on as they’re now in another universe yet they were all a part of something really special. Something that is never going to be matched or replicated as the music itself still stands for generations to come to discover what made the Beatles so great and so revered as well as the people who played with the band, worked with them, and supported them be just as important.

The Beatles: Get Back is an outstanding film from Peter Jackson. It is a film that not only showcases an important period in time for the band but also reveal so much more about that time and how much these four men loved and cared for each other despite their own issues with one another. It is a documentary that isn’t just a must for fans of the Beatles but it is also a film that showcases what it takes to make great music and what it means to be in a band and finding joy in being part of something that is great and fun. In the end, The Beatles: Get Back is a magnificent film from Peter Jackson.

Peter Jackson Films: (Bad Taste) – (Meet the Feebles) – (Braindead) – (Heavenly Creatures) – (Forgotten Silver) – (The Frighteners) – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King – (King Kong (2005 film)) – (The Lovely Bones) – (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) – (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) – (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) – (They Shall Not Grow Old)

The Beatles: The Albums: Please Please Me - With the Beatles - A Hard Day's Night - Beatles for Sale - Help! - Rubber Soul - Revolver - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Magical Mystery Tour - The White Album - Yellow Submarine OST - Abbey Road - Let It Be

Compilations: (1962-1966) - (1967-1970) - Past Masters - (Live at the BBC) - (Anthology 1) - (Anthology 2) - (Anthology 3) - (1) - (Let It Be… Naked) - (Love) - (Anthology 4)


The Beatles Films: (A Hard Day’s Night) – (Help!) – Magical Mystery Tour - (Yellow Submarine) – Let It Be – The Beatles Anthology

Related: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Across the Universe - Nowhere Boy - George Harrison: Living in the Material World - Good Ol' Freda - (Eight Days a Week-The Touring Years)

© thevoid99 2021

Good Ol' Freda

Directed by Ryan White, Good Ol’ Freda is the story of Freda Kelly who was a secretary the Beatles and its manager Brian Epstein as she helped ran their fan club and other aspects involving the band behind the scenes. The film chronicles the period of her work for the band as well as be someone who had a small but crucial part for their success. The result is one of the most enjoyable and fascinating films about one of the key people who were crucial to the success of the Beatles.

The story of the Beatles remains one of the most illustrious tales in the history of popular music as four lads from Liverpool who would change the world with their music in the course of nearly a decade. Yet, the Fab Four in John, Paul, George, and Ringo wouldn’t have done it without a handful of individuals who would help them get to the top such as their producer George Martin, manager Brian Epstein, road managers/personal assistants Neil Aspinall and Mal Evans, and band publicist Derek Taylor. There’s also another person that deserves who was part of that inner circle that many Beatle historians felt never got enough credit and that is Freda Kelly. Kelly’s role in the Beatles’ behind-the-scenes circle wasn’t just running the fan club and be Brian Epstein’s secretary but it would a role that became much bigger.

Though she started at playing her part age 17 in 1961 where she first saw them at the Cavern Club that year and later be hired by Epstein to be her secretary. She was first a fan of the band and would work for them against her father’s advice as it didn’t just involve answering fan letters and other jobs that is required for secretaries. She would play a very personal part for the band who consider her to be their sister as she was the one person who would be their contact with their families as she would be close with their families. Notably Ringo Starr’s mother whom she consider to be a maternal figure as he lost her own mother some time after her own birth. Her part in being the band’s contact to their families was something the Beatles treasured as she would also be the band’s greatest protector when it came to their personal life as Kelly would also be close to Starr’s first wife Maureen Starkey.

While the film does follow a simple narrative about Kelly’s time working for the Beatles, it does get inter-cut with aspects of her own life many years later as she goes through old memorabilia including a monthly fan club magazine that she ran. Even as she would lead a normal life away from the Beatles since leaving the fan club and Apple in 1972 just two years after the band broke up as she rarely talked about her time with the group for many years. Many of those scenes are very straightforward in the way director Ryan White would interview as well as her daughter Rachel and other people involved with the band or Epstein at the time as well as Paul McCartney’s stepmother Angie with the aid of cinematographer Austin Hargrave. With the help of editor Helen Kearns and sound editor Henry Auerbach, White would compile many photos and rare footage as well as old audio interviews to help tell Kelly’s story.

The film also reveal Kelly’s loyalty to the band and to Liverpool as she would stay in the city rather than move to London as she would be the band’s link to the city and when Brian Epstein died of a drug overdose in 1967. Kelly admitted that things did change after that as she knew that after the shooting of Magical Mystery Tour that the band’s disintegration was going to happen. She also talked about Apple and how it was mismanaged where it was fun early on but the business aspects of it became complicated as she knew that it wasn’t going to last. She would also become more evasive towards the press where Kelly revealed where, as much as she didn’t want to lie, she told the press a lot of things in order to protect the Beatles from bullshit as she also didn’t want to answer personal questions about the band to fans in their monthly magazine.

The film’s music by Paul Koch is very low-key as it play into 1960s style rock n‘ roll to play into the period of the early 1960s while music supervisor Matt Lilley would provide music from the period of the times including a few songs from the Beatles which is surprising for a film that was independently funded. Fortunately, Kelly’s connection with the Beatles would provide that including a post-credits video appearance from Ringo Starr saying hello and thanking Kelly for her part in the success of the Beatles.

Good Ol’ Freda is an incredible film from Ryan White about one of the key figures in the career of the Beatles. It’s a film that tells the story of the woman who didn’t just became the band’s great link to their family and home city but also would handle things that lesser fans would be unable to do as it also makes a great case for Freda Kelly to be named “the Fifth Beatle”. In the end, Good Ol’ Freda is a remarkable film from Ryan White.

© thevoid99 2017

Across the Universe

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 10/14/07 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Directed by Julie Taymor and written by Taymor, Dick Clement, and Ian La Frenais, Across the Universe is a musical inspired by the music of the Beatles about a Liverpool boy who travels to America to find his long-lost father as he falls in love with an American girl during the 1960s. The film is an exploration into a period of time set to the music of the Beatles as it plays into the idea of peace and love through some of the most tumultuous moments of the 1960s. Starring Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther McCoy, T.V. Carpio, and cameos from Eddie Izzard, U2's Bono, and Frida star Salma Hayek. Across the Universe is a dazzling and off-the-wall film from Julie Taymor.

In his dour world of Liverpool, a young man named Jude (Jim Sturgess) is hoping to find his father in America, who left his mother (Angela Mounsey) as a baby. Leaving behind his girlfriend Molly (Lisa Hogg) and the world he's known for all of his life, Jude enters into a new world. Landing himself in Princeton, he finds his father Wes Huber (Robert Clohessy) working as a janitor while revealing that he has his own family. Staying in his father's bunk in Princeton, Jude befriends a student named Max (Joe Anderson) after a night of fun. Max, who lives in an upper class home of sorts, invites Jude to Thanksgiving as they meet Max's sister Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood). When Max announces to his family his decision to drop out of school and go to New York City, only Lucy is supportive of the decision with Jude joining along.

Arriving at the city, they stay at the apartment of a singer named Sadie (Dana Fuchs) who has also invited African-American singer-guitarist JoJo (Martin Luther McCoy) as well as a young Asian-American named Prudence (T.V. Carpio). For a while, things to be great with Jude pursuing his artistic pursuits in drawings and paintings as Max decides to invite Lucy to the city. Lucy, still in mourning over the death of her high school boyfriend Daniel (Spencer Liff) at the war, falls for Jude as everything seems to be fine. Then Max receives news that he's been drafted to join the Army forcing Lucy to deal with her feelings towards the war. With Max hoping not to get drafted, things get tense when Sadie is considered for a label deal of her own rather than her band with JoJo. After a party with Dr. Roberts (Bono), they end up taking a trip and have another party with Mr. Kite (Eddie Izzard) as Prudence has joined his circus.

Upon their return to New York City, Max has been drafted and sent to Vietnam for the war. Sadie and JoJo begin to separate while Lucy becomes more involved in activism with an activist named Phil (Michael Ryan). Jude however, decides to not be involved with peace movements in order to pursue his own art which causes friction with Lucy. Yet, as things become tense and nothing is improving over the war or the protests, Jude tells Lucy about her involvement as he and JoJo try to find their own worlds through their art. Finally after another protest where Jude, is suddenly involved, things start to fall apart as Jude gets help from the last he expects to help him as everyone is forced to look inward.

While musicals aren't for all audiences, a musical with music by the Beatles is a tough sell yet the result is definitely spectacular. Even from the mind as someone as ambitious from Julie Taymor. While the result isn't entirely perfect, what she brings to the film is a look that is completely its own and with the music of the Beatles, Taymor brings everything back to the 1960s. With puppet-like sets, visual collages, and everything that seems to represent the psychedelic 60s, it's definitely a film that will stimulate as well as warp the mind of the viewer.

The film's script definitely has an interesting structure in how the music is presented and where it's taking place. The first act starts off very innocently with early music from the Beatles including some more upbeat tracks. From the dour world of Liverpool that Jude lives to the beautiful suburbia that Lucy lives in. Yet, the tone begins to change when both Lucy and JoJo have their first encounter with death, in JoJo's case, the death of a family member following the Detroit riots in '67. In the second act, the music is geared towards mid-60s Beatles where everything at first seems fine and then chaos ensues. By the third act which is around '68-'70, things start to wind down as everyone faces their own sense of disillusionment. Yet, a lot of what happens includes many references to not just that period but also the moments that happened to the Beatles as well.

The script works for the most part though it starts out very clunky and when a musical sequence is going to happen, the audiences tends to know what's going to happen. That's part of the film's weakness at first even as it has the feeling where the performance feels like a music video. Yet, as the film continues, things start to relax as the audiences know what's going to happen where the music and story finally gel. A lot of credit goes to Taymor in her presentation that includes some wonderful sequences that involves dancers and sets where the whole film does feel like theater. Then there's the music that plays to the film and by the second act, it starts to feel very natural and comforting while the message that goes in terms of what was going in the 60s doesn't feel heavy-handed. It's more about what the characters are going through and such.

Helping with Taymor's vision in terms of her staging and musical numbers is choreographer Daniel Ezralow whose choreography feels natural and not in an engaging way that would make the viewer uncomfortable. It actually works to emphasize the emotions and the feeling of where the characters are. Cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel use of lights from the multi-colored lights mixed in with animation sequences, visual effects design by Dongho Lee that brings some joy and rhythm to whatever sequence that's going on. Delbonnel's photography is exquisite with some wonderful exterior shots that look naturally dreamy while the interiors are amazing to the staging of the film. Editor Francoise Bonnot does some fine work with a lot of the film's editing without making into that rapid, MTV-style of cutting that's dominant in a lot of films. Instead, it moves very well with the rhythm and tone of the music as well as the emotions in the performances.

Production designer Mark Friedberg along with set decorator Ellen Christansen and art director Peter Rogness do some amazing work in the film's production. Whether it's the flashing lights that pop up during the bowling alley sequences, a hospital scene that involved a bunch of nurses played Salma Hayek, the puppets, and a lot of the recreation of 1960s psychedelic clubs, and the Liverpool club that's a reference to the Cavern where the Beatles played in their early years. The overall work on the production is amazing in every detail and look with its use of locations. Costume designer Albert Wosky does some great work with the film's look whether it's the leather-like, black look of Jude, the upper-class look of Lucy, to the psychedelic looks of Sadie and JoJo. Each look the film has in its costume works well with the period. Even in the makeup by Mary Aaron and Louise McCarthy do great work, even with the masks that some of the people wear.

Sound effects editor Wyatt Sprague does some great work in creating the atmosphere of the locations where the characters are as it plays to the tone of the film, particularly in the second and third act. Taymor's husband and music composer Elliot Goldenthal brings a nice film score that plays to Max's horrors at war as well as the sense of disillusionment that comes in the third act with its soft, orchestral score. The rest of the film soundtrack is definitely filled with Beatles covers and to its surprise, they were all actually well performed and sung by the cast. Standout cuts include Jeff Beck's guitar performance of A Day In The Life, Martin Luther McCoy's While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Because by the entire cast, and many more. It's an overall fantastic soundtrack.

The cast is definitely unique with cameos from Dylan Baker as Max & Lucy's father, Bill Irwin as their uncle, James Urbaniak as Sadie's manager, Salma Hayek as a gorgeous nurse (who wouldn't want her as 6-7 nurses?), and Joe Cocker doing a cover of Come Together in three different roles including a pimp that's a sight to see. U2's Bono makes a glorious cameo while sporting a cool American accent as this guru named Dr. Roberts. Other small appearances from Robert Clohessy, Angela Mounsey, Linda Emond as Lucy's mother, Lisa Hogg, Spencer Liff, and Michael Ryan are good in their small roles. T.V. Carpio is excellent as the confused Prudence who is trying to find her own identity as well as her own role in the world. Though her role is small, she makes most of her appearances leaving the viewer wanting more as she does a nice cover of I Want To Hold Your Hand. Dana Fuchs is impressive as the bohemian, Janis Joplin-like singer Sadie who is just sexy and a hell of a vocalist as her renditions of a few Beatles song in a bluesy style.

Martin Luther McCoy is great as the Jimi Hendrix-like character JoJo who can play a mean guitar while doing some spirited, soulful renditions of While My Guitar Gently Weeps while his duets with Fuchs are just awe-inspiring to convey their love-hate relationship. The film's real breakthrough performance is Joe Anderson as the non-conforming Max who brings a very energetic, spirited performance that is a sight to watch. The British actor not only sports a perfect American accent but his singing and dance is equally as impressive in songs like Hey Jude, Happiness Is A Warm Gun with Salma Hayek, and With A Little Help From My Friends with Jim Sturgess. Jim Sturgess is incredible as Jude, a young man who just wants to make art and have fun. Sturgess' vocal performance is amazing as he definitely adds emotions and angst into the songs, notably Revolution, Across The Universe, Girl, and Something. Sturgess not only can sing but also act as his chemistry with Evan Rachel Wood is insatiable. Evan Rachel Wood delivers a strong yet complex performance as Lucy who starts out as an innocent young girl who is forced to find reason over the death of her first boyfriend. Wood definitely is the acting veteran among her main cast while proving to sell herself not just in the film's dramatic moments but also the musical performances. Wood's vocals are definitely impressive and natural as she sings them with such life on songs like It Won't Be Long, If I Fell, and Blackbird.

Across the Universe is a marvelous film from Julie Taymor. While it is a very flawed film, it is a film that manages to be a lot of things as it includes a superb cast and amazing technical work. Especially as it has something to offer for fans of the Beatles to see these songs be re-interpreted for a new generation. In the end, Across the Universe is a visually spectacular film from Julie Taymor.

Julie Taymor Films: Titus (1999 film) - Frida - The Tempest (2010 film) - The Auteurs #42: Julie Taymor

© thevoid99 2014

Magical Mystery Tour

Written, produced, directed, and starring the Beatles with additional direction by Bernard Knowles, Magical Mystery Tour is the story of the Beatles going on a tour on the English countryside for all sorts of adventures. In this strange mixture of psychedelia and whimsy, the TV film is a showcase where the Beatles play songs from that album as well as going on strange adventures. The result is a strange yet fascinating film from the Beatles.

The film is essentially the story of a road trip across the country featuring the Beatles and various individuals including Ringo’s Aunt Jessie (Jessie Robins) as they encounter all sorts of strange events including marathon races, a psychedelic film, and other array of images while wizards are keeping an eye on the journey. While there isn’t much of a narrative as it’s just about a road trip with a group of people and some strange dream sequences mixed in with musical performances. It’s a film that doesn’t really need a narrative nor a plot since it’s just really about an adventure into the English countryside with a courier and a hostess leading the way.

The film’s direction is very loose as it somewhat has a cinema verite style to present something that feels naturalistic and real for many of the scenes set in the bus and in the English countryside. With the exception of the song performances by the Beatles and the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band that would feature future Monty Python contributor Neil Innes. The film is played as if there was an air of unpredictability though the only aspect of the story in the narrative that is staged is the testy relationship between Ringo and his aunt as the latter falls for the bus conductor Buster Bloodvessel (Ivor Cutler) that would feature some weird dream sequences. The film also contains an air of psychedelia through some of the imagery set in the English countryside to maintain that air of mystery.

The film also have some strange inserts that has the Beatles play wizards as they’re keeping watch on where the bus is at. It’s all part of this approach of comedy where everything is meant to be absurd and off-the-wall. The musical performances by the Beatles does play to the sense of whimsy in songs like I Am the Walrus and Your Mother Should Know as they’re given some elaborate presentation. For the performances of Fool on the Hill and Blue Jay Way where it is presented with something more direct as the former has Paul McCartney wandering around the countryside while the latter has George Harrison singing the song while sitting on the road with cuts of the rest of the band playing around. Overall, the Beatles have crafted a film that captures the innocence of psychedelia as well as something that is just a whole lot of fun to watch.

Editor Roy Benson does wonderful work with the editing where it is emphasized on style through some transition cutting as well as playing to the rhythm of the music. Production designers Roger Graham and Keith Liddiard do amazing work with the look of the Magical Mystery Tour bus as well as some of the sets like the wizard‘s room, the secret tent, and the dance hall where Your Mother Should Know is performed. Sound editor Gordon Daniel does nice work with the sound to capture the atmosphere on the bus as well as the chaos that occurs in some scenes such as the marathon that happens.

The film’s cast largely consists of unknowns and comedians as standouts include Jessie Robins as Ringo’s aunt, Derek Royle as the tour director Jolly Jimmy Johnson, Mandy Weet as the tour hostess, Victor Spinetti as a drill sergeant, Ivor Cutler as the tour conductor, the Beatles’ longtime assistant Mal Evans as a fifth wizard in the background, and the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band as themselves playing the song Death Cab for Cutie in a very weird scene involving a stripper that is just full of humor. Finally, there’s the Beatles themselves as they each give very comical and lighthearted performances with Ringo Starr being the standout in his scenes with his aunt Jessie.

Magical Mystery Tour is a remarkable yet absurd film from the Beatles. While it may not rank with their earlier feature films nor Yellow Submarine, it is still a very enjoyable film for the way it explores psychedelia and the Beatles’ fascination with it at that time. It’s also a very light-hearted film where the band isn’t trying to take themselves seriously while giving out performances that are just truly memorable. In the end, Magical Mystery Tour is a marvelous film from the Beatles.

The Beatles: The Albums: Please Please Me - With the Beatles - A Hard Day's Night - Beatles for Sale - Help! - Rubber Soul - Revolver - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Magical Mystery Tour - The White Album - Yellow Submarine OST - Abbey Road - Let It Be

Compilations: (1962-1966) - (1967-1970) - Past Masters - (Live at the BBC) - (Anthology 1) - (Anthology 2) - (Anthology 3) - (1) - (Let It Be… Naked) - (Love) - (Anthology 4)

The Films: (A Hard Day’s Night) - (Help!) - (Yellow Submarine) - Let It Be - The Beatles Anthology - The Beatles: Get Back

© thevoid99 2013

Nowhere Boy

Based on the book Imagine This: Growing Up with My Older Brother John Lennon, Nowhere Boy is the story of John Lennon’s early life as a teenager struggling with his absentee mother Julia and the strict upbringing of his aunt Mimi. During his journey to become a musician, he would eventually meet Paul McCartney and George Harrison as they would form the Beatles. Directed by Sam Taylor-Wood and screenplay by Matt Greenhalgh, the film is a look into the young Lennon before he would become famous with the Beatles as Aaron Johnson plays the legendary figure. Also starring Kristin Scott Thomas, Anne-Marie Duff, and Thomas Sangster as Paul McCartney. Nowhere Boy is a touching yet fascinating portrait of the young life of pre-fame John Lennon.

Following the death of his uncle George (David Threlfall), John Lennon’s young life continues to be troubled as he lives with his strict though caring aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas). During his uncle’s funeral, he sees his mother Julia (Anne-Marie Duff) attending from afar as he’s thinking about seeing her. Though Mimi doesn’t want John to see Julia, John decides to as he forges a relationship with of sorts through their love of rock n’ roll. While Julia does have a family life with two daughters and a husband in Bobby (David Morrissey), John enjoys his time as she teaches him the banjo during his suspension from school. Though John’s visits to Julia would disrupt her family life and cause trouble with Mimi, John reluctantly returns home to his aunt.

After deciding to form a rock n’ roll group with friends including fellow troublemaker Pete Shotton (Josh Bolt), John gets a guitar as his skiffle group the Quarrymen attracts the attention of a young musician named Paul McCartney. John lets Paul be part of the group as Paul teaches John how to play more chords while later introducing him to another guitarist named George Harrison (Sam Bell). Despite the success John is making with the Quarrymen and his 18th birthday approaching, John remains haunted by memories of his life as a child as he confronts his mother why she abandoned him where aunt Mimi reveals what happened. After feeling hurt by everything and the chaos of the whole family, things finally cool down as John, Julia, and Mimi finally come to an understanding only to be shattered by tragedy. For John, the event would help shape his outlook on life as he, Paul, and George would form the Beatles as John would tell the news to his family.

While the story of John Lennon’s life is something that a lot of fans of both Lennon and the Beatles know quite well through various books, stories, and films that are either documentary or dramatic feature. What makes this film a bit different is about the relationship between the young Lennon and the two women in his life that would influence the young boy. While aunt Mimi might seem like a strict woman who keeps telling John to put on his glasses and stay out of trouble. She just doesn’t want him to get hurt and deal with all of the turmoil she went through when she chose to raise him. Then there’s Julia, John’s mother who has just come back into his life once again where the two make another attempt to start a relationship though she has a family of her own while also being quite reckless at times.

These two women represent the different ideas that Lennon would be influenced by in his life as he finds an outlet through music where he would meet a young man that would help him evolve musically in Paul McCartney. Matt Greenhalgh’s script does dwell into how these relationship with these individuals would play a part into Lennon’s development as a young man. Still, it’s all about John Lennon in the way he grew up as he was this troublemaking kid that likes to cause trouble and spit at authority. Yet, there’s a complexity into Lennon as Greenhalgh’s script goes into his early life as someone who is creative in art but is in need of a direction to get it out there. While the script is really more of a dramatic interpretation of the young Lennon’s life, it does succeed in giving an idea of what it was like for this young man to come of age.

Sam Taylor-Wood’s direction is truly marvelous to watch in the way she presents the film. Featuring a lot of intimate moments of framing to stylized shots where Lennon is slowly learning to play the banjo in a room while a lot of activity by other characters is happening rapidly. Taylor-Wood manages to create an atmosphere and a period that seems very innocent and lively with a look that is lush and ravishing. While she keeps a lot of the conversations and musical moments to be very straightforward and lively, Taylor-Wood does manage to keep things engaging such as the big dramatic scene of Lennon learning about why his mother abandoned him and the whereabouts of his own father. The overall work Taylor-Wood does is superb as she creates a wonderfully heartbreaking yet enchanting story of Lennon’s early life as a teenager.

Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey does a magnificent job with the film‘s colorful yet stylish photography from the very straight yet lush look for many of the exteriors shot on location in parts of Blackpool, London, and other British locations. McGarvey’s work also has a very dream-like look that plays to some of the very stylized shots such as the interiors of Julia’s home and some performance scenes. Editor Lisa Gunning does an excellent job with the editing by adding a stylistic flair to some of the cutting with a few jump-cuts and other rhythmic cuts to keep the film moving at a brisk pace.

Production designer Alice Normington, along with set decorator Barbara Herman-Skelding and art director Charmian Adams, does a sensational job with the homes created to capture a late 1950s look with objects and things including a few paintings that were actually made by John Lennon to surround his room. Costume designer Julian Day does a superb job with the costumes created from the schoolboy uniform that Lennon wears to the youthful yet stylish dresses that his mother wears. Sound editor Simon Chase does a terrific job with the sound work to capture the intimacy of the home of aunt Mimi to the raucous energy of the shows he plays.

The score by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory, of the electronic duo Goldfrapp, do a nice job with the score which is a mostly low-key orchestral score and piano to play up some of the drama that goes in the film. Music supervisor Ian Neil does a fantastic job with the soundtrack by utilizing some of the early rock n’ roll music of the times from cuts like Elvis Presley and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins while having the actors actually play the songs of the time which is a real highlight of the soundtrack. Particularly as it uses an outtake of John Lennon’s Mother for the film’s ending.

The casting by Nina Gold is great for the cast that is created that includes appearances from David Threlfall as John’s playful uncle George, David Morrissey as Julia’s kind lover Bobby, Josh Bolt as John’s troublemaking friend Pete Shotton, and Sam Bell as a young George Harrison. Thomas Sangster is excellent as the young Paul McCartney who would help shape John as a musician while becoming his dear close friend and partner following the tragedy John faced. Anne-Marie Duff is wonderful as John’s troubled mother Julia who gives John freedom from his aunt Mimi while dealing with her own guilt that she hadn’t been there enough for him.

Kristin Scott Thomas is superb as John’s aunt Mimi who tries to get him to do what is right while dealing with what she had to do for John’s well-being as Thomas brings a compelling sympathy to a very stern character. Finally, there’s Aaron Johnson in a phenomenal performance as the young John Lennon. Johnson brings a real sense of swagger and charisma to the character that is true to Lennon’s personality while showing the anguish his character goes through in dealing with loss and abandonment. Johnson also shows that he can sing as the overall work he does is truly amazing for the young actor.

Nowhere Boy is a rich yet captivating film from Sam Taylor-Wood on the young life of John Lennon. Featuring an outstanding performance from Aaron Johnson as the legendary musician along with brilliant supporting performances from Kristin Scott Thomas, Anne-Marie Duff, and Thomas Sangster. The film gives the idea an idea of what Lennon’s young life was like as well as show how the two women in his life as a teenager would impact him. In the end, Nowhere Boy is a mesmerizing film from Sam Taylor-Wood.

© thevoid99 2011