Lennon Naked (Edmund Coulthard, 2010)

With an almost resurgence of popularity in The Beatles recently, I’m not surprised at the number of films made about some aspect of the Fab Four. I enjoyed In His Life, which focused on John Lennon’s upbringing and I was also similarly interested in this film, which is about John’s later life.

The film begins with Lennon being led by Brian Epstein to meet his father, who he hadn’t seen for 17 years. Then the story continues, centering on some quite emotional and dramatic − although perhaps also lesser known − moments of John Lennon’s life, such as Brian Epstein’s death, splitting from wife Cynthia and eloping with Yoko Ono and the breaking up of the band are the main ones.

As always, I was intrigued by actors who play famous personalities, such as The Beatles − there’s certainly a lot of pressure and big shoes to fill. But Christopher Eccleston did a great job, as did Yoko and the other Fab Four actors.

It was a strange film (and I mean that in a positive way) because it often represented Lennon in a negative light, or perhaps more realistically, which was far from this idyllic image we have of him today. The film depicts him as a man who often seems to quickly flip from a light-hearted attitude to a intensely, almost aggressive character, with disregard for other people’s feelings. But it’s not that simple and Lennon’s childhood, particularly the decision he had to make when choosing between his mother and father, seems to have greatly affected his behaviour and actions during his adulthood.

On the surface, as a Beatle fan, I enjoyed this film, but I also appreciated the many new and unknown layers the film sought to reveal about the seemingly well-known man, John Lennon.

4/5

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Gavin Hood, 2009)

I think the X-Men films are one of the better comic book film franchises. X-Men may not be as well known as Superman or Spiderman but the interesting storylines and strong ensemble of characters really does engage the audience. I guess X-Men Origins: Wolverine is an exception to that last point about an ensemble of characters, as this film essentially revolves around Wolverine. But then again, Hugh Jackman’s great performance as Wolverine/Logan was always a highlight of the X-Men films, which most likely led to this prequel being developed in the first place.

This film nicely fills in the gaps and backstory of the character Logan, who eventually becomes Wolverine. I haven’t seen all the X-Men films but this film really highlights how complex Wolverine’s history is and really does help you understand how he becomes the character he is in the other films. This film begins with Logan as a mutant child and introduces what becomes a very challenging and troubled relationship with his half-brother (who is played by Liev Schreiber). Also, I found it amusing to see Will.i.Am in this film (as a teleporting mutant) and good to see Australian actress Asher Keddie get a part in this blockbuster (most Australians would know her from the local TV series Offspring).

So with a glimpse into his childhood, we then see how Wolverine grew up and the lifestyle he had, happily married to a schoolteacher. Of course, you can sense the trouble coming as not everything is what is seems to be. There’s a lot of violence and betrayal as the different characters try to establish their identities and relationships with one another. I think X-Men Origins: Wolverine has good material to work with and is able to build on a solid plot. But there’s enough action sequences to keep the energy of the film alive and of course, Hugh Jackman’s immersion into the character is the reason why this man is Wolverine.

4/5