Deborah Ross

Dual control | 14 December 2009

Nowhere Boy<br /> 15, Nationwide from 26 December

issue 19 December 2009

Nowhere Boy
15, Nationwide from 26 December

Firstly, the year in review — it was good, thanks — and now on to Nowhere Boy, the surprisingly conventional first feature-length film from visual artist Sam Taylor Wood. It is perfectly accomplished, and pleasing enough, but it’s not going to blow your socks off, even though the combination of Ms Taylor Wood and such a compelling story would give you every reason to think it might. That said, having your socks blown off is rather overrated. Or, as one man told me, ‘My socks blew off in 1976 and I’ve yet to find them. They were nice socks, too.’ So there is something to be said for not having your socks blown off, I suppose.

The story? This is a biopic of the early years of John Lennon, covering his totally weird upbringing.

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