The early years of John Lennon focusing on when he started to get into music as a teenager and his relationship with his Aunt Mimi who raised him and his absent mother Julia. Trying to deal with everything life is thrown at him, told at school he is going nowhere.
This turned out to be a very interesting film as we don't really think about what happened before someone was famous. With the performances being fantastic particularly from Aaron Johnson-Taylor this coming as a bigger role in film for the then 19-year-old. Another great thing was that I did not know Thomas Brodie-Sangster was in it and when he appeared as Paul that was another great moment! He was brilliant in that role and it was something very different to what I have seen him in before.
The film really takes a closer look into the teenage years of John and how his up bringing by his rather strict Aunt saw him rebel at school and then turn to rock and roll after his Mother introduced him to Elvis. The story behind how he ended up with his Aunt is a little vague to begin with but we are given some rather emotional scenes when we eventually found out how that happened and that Mimi had only ever wanted the very best for him and to look after him.
He does not come across as the nicest of teenagers, constantly name calling with his friends, smoking, drinking and exploring the opposite sex. Nothing is left untouched in terms of what we see unfold during the film. It's certainly rather emotional and I loved the small moments which hinted towards different Beatles songs passing a street named Strawberry Fields and other little things that paid homage to one of the greatest bands of all time!
When it finishes though it really does make you wish that we then pick up with John in Germany with his new band and follow his story even more. I mean I know that wasn't the point but to show that at 16/17 he was told he was going "nowhere, boy" and he defied all of those odds and became one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Maybe it actually sends out the message that not everyone is going to be fantastic in school and then go onto having an amazing life. Some people will find themselves in music and that is quite frankly all right!
I really do wish that I had watched this film sooner, so if you have thought about watching it on Netflix than I totally demand that you make it the next film that you choose to watch! I am sure you will not regret it, a heartfelt drama about a true legend whose life was tragically cut short. If you have seen this film I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did? This is certainly a very positive British film and has so many good traits, writing this review has actually made me want to watch it all over again already!
