Based on a true story, 1960s music edition

Nowhere Boy
In the extra features, the filmmakers discussed how they didn't put great importance on finding actors who resembled the people they were playing, because it was, more importantly, a story about a young man and his mother and less importantly a story about young John Lennon, mother Julia, and Aunt Mimi. I get that goal and approach, but if you strip away the known identities of the people being portrayed, which includes 3 of The Beatles, some of the most famous people any of us 20th century folks can think of, what you are left with is a somewhat interesting little family drama. The main character doesn't look much like John, and the person playing Paul looked a lot more like a young George. I think these things made a difference.

Putting that aside (the effort to make a movie that stands alone without The Beatles mattering), as a Beatle fan I did enjoy watching a dramatization of the Quarrymen forming, and the telling of the John Lennon/Julia/Mimi story.

I say see this movie if you are a Beatle fan. Otherwise... meh.

Pirate Radio
When I was checking this out, the librarian said "this has a great soundtrack," and it does. It looked like it couldn't miss, I mean, Philip Seymour Hoffman is in this!! Also Bill Nighy and Nick Frost... well, even with the soundtrack and PSH it did manage to miss the mark. I don't know how, bad timing, characters not quite genuine... but I think it ranks a shrug of the shoulders.


Well, I feel like this should have been done in threes, with the third choice hitting one out of the park. Anyone want to offer one? Or even one that ranks mediocre?