Lennon Naked (4 Stars)

This is a fascinating but unusual biopic about John Lennon. Starting in 1964 and ending in 1971, it concentrates on John's relationship with his father. We only see a few scenes with the other Beatles. Even Yoko Ono appears less frequently in the latter part of the film than we would expect.

The film assumes that the viewer has sufficient background information to fill in the gaps. Anyone unfamiliar with Lennon's musical career would be confused. That's my main criticism of the film, although I of course know who he was. The key events in his career aren't shown in the film; instead we see him at home or with friends talking about what had happened. We see Lennon as a tortured soul and are given an insight into the way he thought, which is the film's main strength. I was particularly moved by the scene in which he attempts to walk on water to test his divinity.

How could the film have been made better? I'm not sure. Though I'd have liked to see Lennon's career highlights portrayed, this would have watered down the film. The intention is to explore the father-son relationship, and as such it succeeds. Maybe 4 stars isn't enough. This is a film worth watching more than once to get the full impact.

Excellent acting by Christopher Eccleston. In appearance, voice and mannerisms he's more Lennon than Lennon. Although he'd been around for a few years, I first noticed him when he played Jesus in "The Second Coming". I was sad when he quit as Doctor Who after only one season. His brief appearances as Claude in "Heroes" were excellent.