Nowhere Boy (2009) - Fall for Johnson, with Taylor-Wood

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Aaron Johnson's awfully pretty face under a cloud on this poster for Sam Taylor-Wood's Nowhere Boy

John Lennon grows up to become a rebel; the germ of it being his uncertainty of his parentage, which is enlightened when he rediscovers his mother, right around the same time that he forms his own pop-rock band.

 

Nowhere Boy is written by Matt Greenhalgh (Control (2007)), based on Lennon's half-sister Julia Baird's memoir Imagine This - Growing Up with My Brother John Lennon (2007), and directed by debuting Sam Taylor-Wood (Misfit (1996, short)).

Aaron Johnson (Shanghai Knights (2003)) as Lennon at first has his enthralling good looks against himself; he is simply too good-looking for his own good. But he is still fascinating, vivacious and dedicated here in a part he obviously enjoys taking on, which coincides with his becoming the real-life partner of his 23 years older director here, (the two married in 2021 and changed names to Sam Taylor-Johnson and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.) Johnson gets splendid support here from a glorious Kristin Scott Thomas (Agent Trouble (1987)), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)) as Paul McCartney and Anne-Marie Duff (On Chesil Beach (2017)) as his mother.

It is impossible (for me at least) to see the Lennon I have seen, - the limp, drowsy Beatle hippie, - in the virile, dominant Johnson, and a hardcore Beatle-fan may protest this fact. But taken as it is, this is a fine and well-acted, delicate film of Lennon's youth, ultimately moving.

 

Watch  a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 1.2 mil. £, approximately 1.6 mil. $

Box office: 6.5 mil. $

= Big hit (returned 4.06 times its cost)

[Nowhere Boy premiered 29 October (London) and runs 97 minutes. Shooting took place in March 2009 - ? in England, including in London. It opened #45 to a 52k $ first weekend in 4 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #23 and in 215 theaters, grossing 1.4 mil. $ (21.5 % of the total gross). The film's biggest market was the UK with 1.5 mil. $ (23.1 %). North America was 2nd biggest, and Australia 3rd biggest with 807k $ (12.4 %). The film was nominated for 4 BAFTAs and won 1/6 British Independent Film awards. among other honors. Taylor-Wood returned with two music videos and a short before her theatrical return with Fifty Shades of Grey (2015). Johnson returned in Kick-Ass (2010); Scott Thomas in Love Crime (2010); and Duff in Margot (2009, TV movie) and theatrically in Sanctuary (2012). Nowhere Boy is certified fresh at 80 % with a 6.90/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Nowhere Boy?

Gosford Park (2001) - Smith triumphs in Altman & Fellowes' exquisite whodunit

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Scarlet roses and a menu attached to a waiter's backside with the title, tagline and impressive list of stars make up this inviting poster for Robert Altman's Gosford Park

A British family patriarch invites to a grand hunting weekend in 1930s upper class England. The family and their servants cultivate etiquette, gossip and viciousness as usual. But then a murder occurs!...

Gosford Park is written by Julian Fellowes (Romeo and Juliet (2013)), based on an idea by co-producer/co-star Bob Balaban (The Last Good Time (1994)) and co-producer and Missourian master filmmaker Robert Altman (The Delinquents (1957)), whose 33rd feature it was.
It is a wonderful multi-character film with a terrific ensemble of whom especially Maggie Smith (Keeping Mum (2005)) and Kelly Macdonald (Finding Neverland (2004)) impress. Smith is tart and incredibly funny here.
Altman serves the whodunit in a breezy style without giving the misdeed more room than is necessary.
The British social reservation that's integral to Gosford Park may affect my own feelings about it a bit to the cool side, but it is certainly still a splendid picture.

Related post:

Robert Altman: The Company (2003) - Campbell, Turner and Altman's fine ballet picture

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 19.8 mil. $
Box office: 87.7 mil. $
= Big hit (returned 4.42 times its cost)
[Gosford Park premiered 7 November (London Film Festival) and runs 137 minutes. Balaban asked Altman if they could develop a film together in 1999, and upon Altman's response of an Agatha Christie-like whodunit introduced him to Fellowes. Shooting took place in England from March 2001 - ?. Filming took place with two cameras perpetually moving in opposite directions, forcing all actors to stay in character throughout every scene, all of which has at least one servant in them. The film opened #23 to a 241k $ first weekend in 9 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #9 and in 918 theaters (different weeks), grossing 41.3 mil. $ (47.1 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 17.1 mil. $ (19.5 %) and Australia with 4.5 mil. $ (5.1 %). It was Altman's most commercially successful film, following MASH (1970). The film was nominated for 7 Oscars, winning for Best Screenplay. It lost Best Picture, Supporting Actress (Smith and Helen Mirren) to Jennifer Connelly, Director to Ron Howard, all for A Beautiful Mind, and Art/Set Decoration and Costume Design to Moulin Rouge!. It won 1/5 Golden Globe nominations, 2/9 BAFTAs, 1/4 AFI award nominations, was nominated for a César award, 3 European Film awards and several other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 4/4 star review, translating to 2 notches higher than this one. Fellowes was inspired by the film to create his hit-series Downton Abbey (2010-15). Altman returned with The Company (2003). Smith returned in Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002); Macdonald in Brush with Fate (2003, TV movie), State of Play (2003, miniseries) and theatrically in Intermission (2003). Gosford Park is certified fresh at 86 % with a 7.51/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Gosford Park?

Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) - Newell, Curtis and a stellar cast's romcom triumph

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+ Best British Movie of the Year + Best $ Return of the Year: 55.84 + Best Mega-hit Movie of the Year + Best On-screen Couple of the Year: Hugh Grant & Andie MacDowell + Most Profitable Movie of the Year: 93.88 mil. $ range + Best Romcom of the Year

The main characters of Mike Newell's Four Weddings and a Funeral are squashed together on this bright poster for the film

At a wedding our awkward hero, an indecisive, English heartbreaker, meets the one and only, who is a warm-blooded American. But, but, but ...

Four Weddings and a Funeral is written by Richard Curtis (Trash (2014)) and directed by great British filmmaker Mike Newell (Donnie Brasco (1997)). It is an extraordinarily well-greased romcom; well-written and acted, - and directed with an enormous flair.
Hugh Grant (Restoration (1995)), Andie MacDowell (Mighty Fine (2012)), Kristin Scott Thomas (Nowhere Boy (2009)), John Hannah (Overboard (2018)), Rowan Atkinson (Keeping Mum (2005)) and Simon Callow (Creditors (2015)) as the festive Garth, who passes away, are all outstanding.
There's poor sound in a few scenes, and the film maybe repeats its own conventions a bit too willingly, but these are minor asides to one of the best and most widely loved romances of the 1990s.

Related posts:

Mike Newell: 2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) - Newell straddles too much in fair action-adventure 

2007 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Love in the Time of Cholera (2007) - Newell's Márquez adaptation is a disaster

Donnie Brasco (1997) - Newell's fantastic, authentic gangster tale

1994 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Top 10: Best UK movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 4.4 mil. $

Box office: 245.7 mil. $

= Blockbuster (returned 55.84 times its cost)

[Four Weddings and a Funeral premiered 20 January (Sundance Film Festival, Utah) and runs 117 minutes. The script was reportedly inspired by Curtis' having attended 65 weddings in 11 years and at one of them turned down a proposal, which he forever regretted. Grant was considering giving up acting before he got the part, which became his mainstream breakthrough. He was paid 40k £, with the other co-stars getting 17.5k £ per head. The tight budget meant that wedding extras wore their own garbs, and that shooting had to be completed in 36 days, taking place in England, including London, from May - July 1993. The US distributor objected to the film's profanity and tried, unsuccessfully, to have its title changed. The film opened in 5 theaters to a 138k $ first weekend in North America, where it peaked at #1, spending a total of 6 weeks in the top 5 (#1-#2-#3-#2-#5-#5), grossing 52.7 mil. $ (21.4 % of the total gross). The US distributor, on realizing the film's popularity, spend 11 mil. $ on marketing it there. It grossed 27.8 mil. £ in the UK, and still stands as the highest-grossing UK film of all time. It was nominated for 2 Oscars: It lost Best Picture to Forrest Gump and Original Screenplay to Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary for Pulp Fiction. The film won 1/4 Golden Globe nominations, 4/11 BAFTA noms, a César award, was nominated for 2 David di Donatello awards, won a National Board of Review award and many other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, in line with this one. Newell returned with An Awfully Big Adventure (1995). Grant returned in Sirens (1994), MacDowell in Bad Girls (1994). Four Weddings and a Funeral is certified fresh at 96 % with a 7.64/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Four Weddings and a Funeral? 

Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009) - A good cast raise Hogan's entertaining, silly chick-flick

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Isla Fisher looks more or less stylish and/or tantalizing in long stockings and high heels on this poster for P.J. Hogan's Confessions of a Shopaholic

A journalist in New York loses her job and is forced to take charge of her shopping mania.

Isla Fisher (Nocturnal Animals (2016)) is sweet and funny in the lead here and finds herself cast against a very cute Hugh Dancy (Hannibal (2013-15)). Krysten Ritter (Gravity (2010), TV-series) is also good as a friend.
Confessions of a Shopaholic is energetic fluff without any major, intelligent insight behind it. It is best watched half-drunk, in which state it is a fairly good time. But it is a really silly and predictable serving. - It does sport an incredibly good cast though, which also includes John Lithgow (Dexter (2009), TV-series), Joan Cusack (My Sister's Keeper (2009)), John Goodman (Pope Joan (2009)) and Kristin Scott Thomas (Force Majeure (1989)).
The film is written by Tracey Jackson (The Guru (2002)), Tim Firth (Calender Girls (2003)) and Kayla Alpert (Ally McBeal (2001), TV-series), based on the two first books in the Shopaholic book series by Sophie Kinsella (Twenties Girl (2009)), and directed by great Australian filmmaker P.J. Hogan (My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)).

Watch an official trailer for the film here

Cost: 55 mil. $
Box office: 108.3 mil. $
= Flop
[Confessions of a Shopaholic premiered 5 February (New York) and runs 104 minutes. Shooting took place in New York, Connecticut and Miami, Florida from February - May 2008. The ending was reshot in December 2008 to make it less offensive to the new and building financial crisis recession climate. The film opened #4, behind fellow new release Friday the 13th and holdover hits He's Just Not that Into You and Taken, to a 15 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it fell out of the top 5 the following week and grossed 44.2 mil. $ (40.8 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK, where Kinsella hails from, with 12.1 mil. $ (11.2 %) and Australia with 6.5 mil. $ (6 %). Confessions of a Shopaholic is rotten at 25 % with a 4.4 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Confessions of a Shopaholic?

The English Patient (1996) - Minghella's oppulent, beautifully produced and shot, but nevertheless boring classic

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+ Most Profitable Movie of the Year: 65.76 mil. $ range

Ralph Fiennes squints back at us serenely in the sandy colors that permeate much of Anthony Minghella's The English Patient

A mysterious count, who is in bad condition following a plane crash, gets treated by a kind nurse, while his own story gradually returns to him.

The English Patient is an adaptation of Michael Ondaatje's (Anil's Ghost (2000)) same-titled 1992 novel by great English, Oscar-winning writer-director Anthony Minghella (The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)) It is an epic war romance that mixes airy dialog with a plot that swells in every direction. Its core romance is not unlike the kind you'd expect to meet a much briefer summation of in a women's magazine. Attractive actors and grand, Oscar-winning production values make this peculiar, overrated mega-hit worth watching. For me its most distinguishing trait is the beauty of many of its images; the remarkable, Oscar-winning cinematography is by John Seale (The Tourist (2010)).
In the end the reason I only award 3 hearts to the film is that despite these qualities, it still thoroughly bores me.

 

Related post:

 

1996 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Watch 3 of the first minutes of the film here

Cost: 27 mil. $
Box office: 231.9 mil. $
= Mega-hit
[The English Patient premiered 6 November (LA) and runs 162 minutes. Studio Fox wanted bigger star actors in the leads, but Minghella and producer Saul Zaents were adamant about their choices, and eventually Miramax took over for Fox and allowed them their cast. Filming took place in Siena, Pisa, Tuscany, Venice and Rome, Italy, including in the Cinecittà Studios of Rome, and in Tunesia from September 1995 - January 1996. The film opened limited in 10 theaters to a 278k $ first weekend in North America, where it peaked at #7 and in 1,409 theaters (different weeks) and grossed 78.6 mil. $ (33.9 % of the total gross). Roger Ebert awarded it 4/4 stars. It was nominated for 12 Oscars and won 9: For Best Picture, Supporting Actress (Juliette Binoche), Art Direction, Cinematography, Costume Design, Director, Editing, Score (Gabriel Yared) and Sound Mixing. It lost Best Lead Actor (Ralph Fiennes) to Geoffrey Rush in the great Shine; Lead Actress (Kristin Scott Thomas) to Frances McDormand in masterpiece Fargo, and Adapted Screenplay to Billy Bob Thornton for Sling Blade. The film also won 2 Golden Globes out of 7 nominations, 6 BAFTAs out of 13 nominations, a César award nomination (France's Oscar), 2 European Film Awards out of 3 nominations, 3 National Board of Review awards and many more. The English Patient is certified fresh at 84 % with a 7.6 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The English Patient?