► Nowhere Boy | A

"I know you understand the little child inside the man," so sings John Lennon in a song called "Woman," from his final album. In Nowhere Boy, we get the same privilege that Yoko Ono did — to understand the boy that would become the man we know as John Lennon.

Nowhere Boy is the 2009 British biopic based on the untold story of John Lennon's teenage years including his struggles with the mother who abandoned him, the stoic aunt who raised him and the founding of his first band, The Quarrymen.

John Lennon, played by Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass), appears to be a self-assured, even arrogant adolescent whose rebellious behaviors and smart mouth often get him into trouble. When his uncle suddenly dies, John seeks out his mother. The two form a unique but complicated relationship, sharing a mutual adoration even though John still harbors some resentment toward her. John struggles with his aunt, his teachers and his bandmates. When Lennon first meets the more serious musician Paul McCartney, played by Thomas Brodie Sangster (Love Actually), John sees him as a threat. The exploration of their relationship, while only brief, shows the friendship that McCartney and Lennon share and its delicate balance between genuine affection and resentment.

Nowhere Boy is the directorial feature film debut for conceptual artist Sam Taylor-Wood. The writing is clever, somewhat reminiscent of the banter we might have seen in A Hard Day's Night or any of the Beatles' movies. It is the drawing of Lennon's character that really displays the complexity of who he was. John the jokester, John the angst-ridden, oversexed teenager and John the genius all have their moments in the dialogue.

Furthermore, the cast was absolutely spectacular. Anne-Marie Duff (The Last Station) plays Lennon's mother, the scandalously flirtatious Julia. Duff truly captures Julia's almost maniacal brightness, her morbid melancholy states, and her unwillingness to deal with the consequences of her actions. Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient) gives another tremendous performance as John's Aunt Mimi, a woman who shows few emotions, making her a hard person for the young Lennon to understand. Johnson excels as well, beautifully displaying young Lennon's hubris, insecurities and propensity for hasty decisions. His portrayal has the viewer feeling the character's frustration along with him. Johnson also does an excellent job vocally, lending his voice to the soundtrack as one of the Nowhere Boys. The soundtrack is an old-school rock lover's dream, featuring Elvis and other early '50s greats.

The writing, music and especially acting all come together in Nowhere Boy for an excellent story about the child inside the man.