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

2011 Cannes Marathon: Bright Star

(Premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival in Competition for the Palme D’or)

When The Piano came out in 1993 and co-won the Palme D’or w/ Chen Kaige’s Farewell, My Concubine. Jane Campion received international attention after helming two feature films as she also became the second woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director. Since then, Campion’s follow-up films to The Piano has divided audiences and critics that included an adaptation of Henry James’ Portrait of a Lady, the spiritual searching Holy Smoke!, and the 2003 erotic drama In the Cut. Campion took a break from feature-film making to do a couple of shorts for anthology films as she made her return in 2009 for a film about John Keats’ final years entitled Bright Star.

Written and directed by Jane Campion, Bright Star tells the story of John Keats’ final years as he finds a muse in a woman named Fanny Brawne. During these final years, Brawne would become more than his muse as the two would embark in a relationship that would shape Keats’ writing. Based on Andrew Morton’s biography on Keats, it’s a film that explores a man finding his muse in a woman who is different from many others. Starring Abbie Cornish, Ben Whishaw, Paul Schneider, Thomas Sangster, and Kerry Fox. Bright Star is a poignant yet mesmerizing romantic drama from Jane Campion.

It’s 1818 in London as Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish) is a woman who creates her own clothes and actually makes a living off of it. While she lives with her mother (Kerry Fox) and her two younger siblings in Samuel (Thomas Sangster) and Toots (Edie Martin). During a visit to meet Mrs. Dilke (Claudie Blakley), they meet a man who shares a house with Dilkes in Charles Brown (Paul Schneider). It is there that Fanny meets John Keats (Ben Whishaw) who is trying to write some new poems. Fanny is intrigued by Keats as Keats is amazed by Fanny’s sense of individuality and her ability to create her own clothes. While Fanny admits to not really understanding about poetry, Keats helps her as he decides to give her poetry lessons.

Despite having written a book of poems, Keats hasn’t been able to gain any financial success as Brown tries to help fund their lifestyle as they keep working. Keats and Fanny’s attraction increases though her mother isn’t so sure about this friendship until Brown writes a Valentine to Fanny as a joke. The joke upsets Keats as does Fanny as she ends their poetry lessons. When Fanny’s mother learns that the Dilkes are giving them the house they share with Brown as Fanny sees Keats again. The two renew their relationship as it blossoms into a romantic one until Keats had to leave with Brown to work in other places leaving Fanny upset. Though Keats and Fanny would write letters to each other, the longing for contact proves to be painful.

Keats eventually returns in the fall as he and Fanny renew their relationship once again as they decide to be secretly engaged. Keats suddenly becomes ill during the winter as friends try to help create funds for his new work and for his health. With suggestions for Keats to go to Italy for his health, Brown reveals that he couldn’t go because he needed to be with the Brawne’s new maid Abigail (Antonia Campbell-Hughes) whom he impregnated. Fanny wants to go to Italy to be with Keats as she helps him find a place to live. Instead, his illness worsens with Fanny taking care of him before he leaves for Italy as she hopes that they would marry upon his return.

While it is a love story about John Keats and his muse Fanny Brawne, it’s really about a relationship between two different artists and personalities that grows into something far more powerful. Brawne is a woman who is a bit flirtatious though is really an individual who finds her talents in creating her clothes with fashions that are quite ahead of its time. Yet, she has managed to make a living for herself while helping her mother and two siblings. Keats meanwhile, is a writer who has the talents but couldn’t gain any success as he tries to make a living while living off funds of others. He’s also a character that is a bit unaware of his surroundings while being a bit naïve at times.

When he and Fanny are together, there is a side to them that is innocent but also a bit chaotic due to their personalities. Even as there’s a few people wary about the relationship such as Mr. Brown and Fanny’s mother. Brown is someone who’s had a very testy relationship with Fanny whom he’s known for some time while often thinks he’s not good enough for a man as introspective as Keats. Fanny’s mother is more cautious as she sees how Fanny reacts to Keats even to the point where she is bewildered by Fanny’s attempt to kill herself because she hadn’t heard from Keats.

Jane Campion’s screenplay succeeds in studying the behaviors and personalities of its main characters while not delving into a lot of heavy drama that often hinders most films about famous figures. Yet, Campion isn’t interested in historical context or facts but rather explore the relationship between Keats and Brawne. Even as characters like Fanny’s mother and Mr. Brown get some development since they’re watching the relationship from afar. Campion’s script also uses Keats’ poems and letters to help emphasize the emotional longing for both Keats and Brawne. Notably the poem Bright Star that is recited in the film a couple of times. While the ending is obvious since it is about Keats’ final years, her approach is more about showing it from Brawne’s perspective.

Campion’s direction is truly mesmerizing in the way she tells the story by shooting largely on location near where Keats and Brawne spent their time together along with a small scene in Rome, Italy where Keats died. Campion creates compositions that allows the audience to see what Keats and Brawne are making in their respective trades. Notably in moments where she has the camera shooting close-ups on Fanny’s hands sewing or Keats’ writing. For a large portion of the Keats-Brawne scenes, it’s always about the dramatic elements yet it is approached with a sense of restraint with some anguish used. One notable scene that allows Campion to present humor is when Keats and Brawne are walking behind Brawne’s sister Toots as Toots looks back and they freeze.

The subtle moments such as that scene along with scenes where Fanny and Toots surrounded themselves in a room full of butterflies or a scene where Keats is just having a lovely time with the Brawne family. Part of Campion’s brilliance is a director is to just soak up the world that the characters live in as there are many scenes where the characters surround themselves with nature. There are some gorgeous compositions that include a shot of Keats lying on top of a tree. It’s shots like that along with its broad presentation that does give the film a poetic tone which isn’t surprising since the film is about a poet’s final years. Overall, this is Campion at her best as she creates a solid yet engaging romantic drama.

Cinematographer Grieg Fraser does a superb job with the cinematography from the naturalistic yet lush look of the scenes of trees and flowers in the spring/summer periods to the rainy/winter looks that play to the dreary mood of the characters. Fraser’s work for many of the exteriors along that the interiors of the home that Keats lived in with Brown and the Brawnes is truly exquisite for its intimacy and dark look against its wooden walls. Editor Alexandre de Franceschi does an excellent job with the editing as it’s mostly straightforward while using fade-to-black for many transitions. Particularly in creating a pace that, while slow, is methodical to build the burgeoning relationship between Keats and Brawne.

Production/costume designer Janet Patterson, along with set decorator Charlotte Watts and art director Christian Huband do a great job with the set decorations in the look of early 19th Century housing and objects while Patterson‘s costumes are the real technical highlight of the film. Particularly with the dresses made and worn by Fanny to reflect her personality. Sound editors John Dennison and Tony Vaccher do a wonderful job in capturing the broad world of 19th Century London with its horse trots and homes along with the sparse yet intimate world of the natural surroundings the characters encounter.

The film’s music by Mark Bradshaw is brilliant for its melancholic tone with an array of somber string orchestral pieces and dramatic flourishes to play to the love of Keats and Brawne. Bradshaw also helps create arrangements for a couple of pieces by Mozart including a vocal piece from Mozart that some of the actors sing in a party scene for the film.

The casting by Nina Gold is amazing for the ensemble that is assembled for the film. Notable small roles include Samuel Roukin as a critic in a party scene, Olly Alexander as John Keats’ ailing brother Tom, Gerard Monaco as Mr. Dilke, and Samuel Barnett is a friend of Keats who helps fund is trip to Italy. Other notable but memorable small supporting roles include Claudie Blakley as family friend Mrs. Dilke who wonders about Fanny’s relationship to Keats and Antonia Campbell-Hughes as the young maid Abigail whom Mr. Brown is smitten with. Edie Martin is very good as Fanny’s youngest sister Toots in whom brings her playful side while Thomas Sangster is also good as Fanny’s younger brother Samuel who enjoys the company of Keats.

Kerry Fox is excellent as Fanny’s mother who observes her daughter’s behavior while wanting her to be cautious about embarking on this relationship. Notably in scenes when she sees her daughter in despair while being very calm about what’s happening though does like Keats despite his aloof personality. Paul Schneider is brilliant as Mr. Brown, Keats’ longtime friend and colleague who tries to keep things going only to cause trouble about Keats’ relationship with Brawne. While Schneider gets to be funny in a few scenes, it’s a very surprising role for the North Carolina-based actor who proves to have a lot of range of a man who is good but does a lot of bad things while admitting his faults.

Ben Whishaw is superb as John Keats, a brilliant but introspective poet who is attracted to Fanny Brawne as he starts a relationship with her. Whishaw brings a calm yet chilling performance as a man who is very insecure while he finds inspiration in Fanny. It’s a remarkable performance for the actor as he also has a wonderful yet touching chemistry with his co-star Abbie Cornish. Abbie Cornish delivers what is definitely her most radiant performance to date as Fanny Brawne. Cornish delivers a performance that is full of grace of a woman who is definitely one-of-a-kind as she keeps things to herself while being a great artist of her own. In her scenes with Whishaw, Cornish brings a restraint to the way she reacts to him while showing anguish in her scenes of heartbreaking and longing. It’s definitely a stunning performance from the Australian actress.

Bright Star is a magnificent yet ethereal drama from Jane Campion featuring great performances from Abbie Cornish and Ben Whishaw. Fans of John Keats work will definitely see this as a great dramatic interpretation on his life as well as his relationship with Fanny Brawne. Fans of Jane Campion will no doubt see this as a return-to-form following the disappointing 2003 film In The Cut. It is a very poignant yet beautiful film about John Keats and Fanny Brawne as Bright Star is definitely an amazing film from Jane Campion.

Jane Campion Films: Sweetie - An Angel at My Table - The Piano - The Portrait of a Lady - Holy Smoke! - In the Cut - Top of the Lake (TV Miniseries) - (Top of the Lake-China Girl) - The Power of the Dog - The Auteurs #25: Jane Campion

© thevoid99 2011