Lennon's music has now reached mythic status, yet the man has always been a contradiction veering back and forth from saint to sinner like a ship in a storm. This film shows painful yet moving aspects of Lennon's life. It's all the more agonizing to watch as you see his tainted upbringing being repeated on Julian his first son. The film deftly moves from a historic Beatles film, focusing on the break-up and the last meetings of the band, to intimate moments in Lennon's life. None of it feels forced with some beautiful direction and photography. Christopher Eccleston doesn't quite pull off playing the most iconic Beatle. During close ups the deep lines cutting across his aging face show the 46 older is painfully too old to play Lennon during his 20's and 30's and almost distracts from the film. He has gone for a caustic Lennon, sourer than sulphuric acid with a tongue as forked as a serpent. There is not one scene where we are given the glimpse of the man who wrote "All your is love". Instead we are given an endless barrage of Lennon at his worse. But you cannot help thinking how much richer the film would have been if we had seen the other side of Lennon.
Die hard Lennon fans will find much to criticise, however the scenes with his father and his Ex-Wife Cynthia more than make for these flaws.
Die hard Lennon fans will find much to criticise, however the scenes with his father and his Ex-Wife Cynthia more than make for these flaws.