Lennon Naked
Lennon Naked | |
---|---|
Written by | Robert Jones |
Directed by | Edmund Coulthard |
Starring | |
Theme music composer | Dickon Hinchcliffe John Lennon The Beatles |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Producers | Edmund Coulthard Katherine Lannon |
Cinematography | Matt Gray |
Editor | Philip Kloss |
Running time | 82 minutes |
Production company | Blast! Films |
Original release | |
Network | BBC Four |
Release |
|
Lennon Naked is a 2010 television biographical film focusing on the life of John Lennon between 1967 and 1971.[1] It stars Christopher Eccleston as John Lennon and was directed by Edmund Coulthard.
The film was first broadcast on 23 June 2010 on
Plot
In 1964, a reluctant
By 1967, Epstein has died and The Beatles are giving a press conference for their new film, Magical Mystery Tour. Lennon is sceptical about the film, but Paul McCartney (Andrew Scott) convinces him to go through with the idea. Lennon invites his father to his mansion to live with him, allowing Freddie to meet his grandson, Julian.
Sitting with his wife Cynthia (Claudie Blakley), Lennon reads the negative critical reception of Magical Mystery Tour, while comparing Cynthia to Brigitte Bardot, whom he plans to meet after he returns from India. Lennon finds a letter addressed to him, with the word "Breathe" written on it—later revealed to have been written by Yoko Ono (Naoko Mori). Later, after finding his father in a neighbour's house, Freddie reveals that he has a 19-year-old girlfriend named Pauline, with whom he wants to live. Lennon accuses Freddie of leaving him again and throws him out of the house.
After meeting
After Lennon and Yoko record what will become the album
Yoko reveals that she's
Lennon is later seen with a therapist,
Cast
The credited cast consists of the following:[5]
- Christopher Eccleston as John Lennon
- Freddie Lennon
- Allan Corduner as Arthur Janov
- Andrew Scott as Paul McCartney
- Naoko Mori as Yoko Ono
- Michael Colgan as Derek Taylor
- Craig Cheetham as Ringo Starr
- Jack Morgan as George Harrison
- Claudie Blakley as Cynthia Lennon
- Rory Kinnear as Brian Epstein
- Adrian Bower as Pete Shotton
- Di Botcher as Dot
- Eileen O'Brien as Lil
- Debora Weston as Gloria Emerson
- Dave Legeno as Les
- Charlie Coulthard as Julian Lennon
- Ray MacAllan as Cabbie
- Jonathan Rigby as Cynthia's lawyer
- Annabel Leventon as Rich woman
- David Annen as Hospital consultant
- Patrick Drury as Apple accountant
- Helen Bradbury as John's PA
- Peter Lawman as Journalist 1
- Roderick Smith as Journalist 2
- Dylan Charles as Journalist 3
Production
Naoko Mori has confessed that she got drunk to film all the nude scenes in this movie. "I can"t really remember much of that day. Maybe it was the half bottle of tequila. I've always sworn I'd never do nudity on screen."[6]
Reception
According to Sam Wollaston of
Upon its US premiere Robert Lloyd, the television critic for the Los Angeles Times, wrote "it doesn't much hang together as a drama and will be of interest mainly to Beatle completists and Eccleston fans, of whom there are, after all, more than a few....none of the actors are given enough space to build a solid character, either – even the formidable Yoko comes off as a bit of a simp. Minus any demonstration of his importance, and with Eccleston playing the pained, petulant John to the near exclusion of the talented, charming one, we are left just with a portrait of a rich and prickly young man."[8]
References
- ^ Geoghegan, Kev (24 February 2010). "Don't Let Me Down: Rise of the Rock Biopics". BBC News. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
- ^ Dean, Will (23 June 2010). "Six To Watch: The Beatles on TV — From the Fabulous Anthology to the Preposterous In My Life, the Fab Four Have Featured in Numerous Entertaining TV Shows". TV & Radio Blog. The Guardian. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
- Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
- Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
- Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
- ^ "Yoko actress got drunk to get naked". metro.co.uk. 21 June 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
- ^ Wollaston, Sam (24 June 2010). "Lennon Naked". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
- ^ Lloyd, Robert (22 November 2010). "A Night of John Lennon on PBS – The Biopic 'Lennon Naked' Hangs Its Narrative on the Beatle's Relationship with His Long-Absent Father. Much Better Is 'LENNONYC,' a Look at the Musician's Years in New York City with Yoko Ono". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
External links
- Lennon Naked at IMDb
- Lennon Naked from BBC Four
- Lennon Naked from Masterpiece Contemporary
- "Lennon on the Chopping Block" Bluefat review