Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-21 09:40:49

JARED HARRIS IS FIRST-RATE AS JOHN LENNON!

A must-see for all Beatles fans. This film is worth seeing alone for Jared Harris' outstanding portrayal of John Lennon. It doesn't matter that Harris doesn't exactly resemble Lennon; his mannerisms, expressions, posture, accent and attitude are pure Lennon. Best scene: Lennon in a local cafe verbally sparring with a stuttering fan as to whether Paul McCartney & Wings' "Silly Love Songs" is worthy of #1 status in America.

2012-05-20 22:19:09

Great movie :)

You know, I'm not really even a beatles fan, but I thought the movie was great.

l_manning79 2012-05-16 12:06:43

Excellent journey for Bealtes fans.

This is one of the few movies released about a "what if" type ofsituation that made me think. It was amazing to hear them speak to eachother, and reminisce about all the wonderful (and not so wonderful)things that happened between them. I actually think that there is avery good possibility this occurred like the movie implies, and theyactually made peace with each other. Those are good memories for everyfan to hang onto, and to ask what actually happened between them wouldbe selfish. What an AMAZING movie this was. The comedic aspects of themovie were wonderful. To think that they were together to patch thingsup between them in such a way is a comforting thought to people whowish they had a chance to clear the air with someone they didn't getto. To see John as such a caring, laid back character was refreshingfrom hearing all of the trash that was spoken about him...

2012-05-16 05:41:37

Pizza and fairy tales

This movie is a vaguely amusing piece of fiction. The actors do a pretty good job channeling the personas of Lennon and McCartney, and giving obsessed fans a happier ending than ever was. The entire enterprise is strange; so beloved are the Beatles, that some fans must sit around imagining how wonderful it would be if John and Paul had made up completely in the seventies, palled around with feeling, ran around Central Park like schoolboys in "A Hard Day's Night," sang together, etc. Fans take it all so personally. Can we not love the Beatles warts and all, as genuine flawed human beings who never entirely conformed to our image of what they ought to be and do? Must they be the friendly mop tops forever? The second half of Lennon's life was a difficult struggle against that image and the expectations of fame in general. Here all that is cheerily kicked aside, because the public would rather he had made peace with his old partner. Okay, there is some complexity in this film, and it isn't a hack job, but the underlying premise remains unsettling to me. This film does not claim to be fact, but the real histroy was so interesting that I don't like fictional rewrites of that history. Read Lennon's fascinating "Playboy" interviews from 1980 and you will get a much truer picture of this situation late in Lennon's life. Rest assured, this is pure fiction, and frankly kinda weird.

Mike Eder 2012-05-13 09:32:22

Cliché

This movie is one long cliché after another. First of all, though theydid their share, there is a unwarranted dope scene where John sniffsweed like an idiot. The wigs and accents are terrible. They sound worsethen the old Beatle cartoons. John is the nasty, envious, closethomosexual, slave to Yoko he is portrayed as being in the discreditedAlbert Goldman book. They even keep spouting song titles in regularconversation "it was always just the Two Of Us"! John would not havebeen mean to his fans like this either. Like his death showed us he wastoo nice if anything. The one funny scene is where a dumb Beatle fanonly recognizes John and asks him to sing Paul's Yesterday. An insultedJohn says something along the lines of "Sure and while I croon whydon't you get down on your knees, put on your wife's wig, and lick myliggin". That made me laugh for days. Really this movie is funny in howserious it tries to be while coming off ridiculous. John and Paul alsodid not sit pontificating all day, they were funny light hearted guyswho even during The Beatles break up where far more personable thenportrayed here. Forget it.

Lennon-3 2012-05-12 20:51:20

A interesting exploration of the possibilities

I sat down to watch this film with much trepidation and little hope. Ididn't think it would be possible for this film to live up to its subjectmatter. But it absolutely did, and then some. First, I must say that JaredHarris did an extraordinary job as John Lennon. At times it seemed thatHarris was channeling Lennon. The resemblance was often uncanny, and heclearly studied Lennon's mannerisms and vocal inflections. Aiden Quinn wasquite good as McCartney, also bearing a striking resemblance to Macca,although he did occasionally trip over his Scouse accent.This work of fiction was well-written and well-directed. It was purefantasy, of course, but sometimes I felt like a voyeur peeking through akeyhole at this reunion. The rooftop scene was especially moving, asMcCartney told Lennon what he had never heard as a child--that he wasworthyand important, and it could never be his fault that he was abandoned by hisparents. I also enjoyed the scene in the park where the pair of themdancedwith absolute abandon to the reggae band!My one complaint would be this: I am not so sure that John was as causticas he was portrayed in the film at this stage in his life. He had settledin to his domestic situation quite nicely, and he was actually known to bequite friendly when approached by fans. Only a few years later, he wasveryfriendly when he was first approached by his assassin for an autograph onthe day he was murdered.Mostly this film served to stir up those feelings again about what mighthave been had John lived a bit longer. I am quite sure the Beatles wouldhave come back together at some stage. And I am quite certain that Lennonand McCartney would still be friends today.Well done, VH1. I will watch it again and again.

2012-05-12 10:19:20

Excellent Acting

For anyone who loves the Beatles, (Half the population of Earth) you will be rewarded with a fictitious but very realistic account, of what may of happened on this infamous meeting. Paul's character played by Quinn was truly remarkable. Since his death, so much of Johns place in history has been covered and magnified, while in many accounts Paul has been given an unfair shake on his place as an intelligent, sensitive and brilliant musician. I came off feeling how special and warm Paul is both in his humour and listening skills. Both actors though were outstanding. You walk away from this film wanting more. But unfortunatly we know, more did not happen. I would Love to see a movie of this kind be made of George Harrison's life. He is probably the most underrated musical genius of the modern era. Thank You!

tibejordan 2012-05-12 03:17:48

Nice Surprise

I admit I had some trepidation when I first saw the previews for this film.Was VH-1 treading on hollow ground here? I mean, Harris and Quinn don'treally look or even sound like John or Paul. But I have to admit, this filmreally surprised me. It's far from the exploitation film I expected.Instead, it's a character study, a low-key, whimsical, and ultimatelybittersweet look at friendship, and the ultimate lesson we all learn: it'shard, if not impossible, to capture what we once had, and what has passedusby.

2012-05-11 14:14:54

Paul and John

This review is from: Two of Us (DVD) Excellent movie, however, did it or did it not really happen? If it did happen, you get an insight of what each thought of the other.

2012-05-10 18:27:37

An Interesting "What-If" Movie!!---Spectres Of What Might've Been??

This review is from: Two of Us (DVD) I think Aidan Quinn (Paul McCartney), who I've appreciated in many different roles down through the years, and Jared Harris (looks and acts like Lennon so much that it's spooky at times!), did a wonderful job in this "what-if" movie that's supposedly based on an actual impromptu meeting between ex-Beatles / musical partners / friendsPaul McCartney and John Lennon in NYC in 1976. In this movie, the Beatles have been broken up since 1970, and it wasn't a nice clean break either!---Many hurt feelings and bruised egos.After not speaking for six years and throwing barbs at each other in interviews (well, John at least!), Paul, who is at the peak of his WINGS period, is in NYC for 4 sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden when he decides to pay his old friend / nemesis John Lennon at visit at The Dakota.John has been basically out of the music game (with exceptions) since the early 70's, and has moved to New York with Yoko Ono and they have a small child together..Sean Lennon, who John is more than happy to dote on and be the father and husband that he could never be back in his youth when oldest son Julian was born and his first wife, Cynthia were together.He basically likes hanging out and living the life that he wants to live, free of being controlled by the madness of Beatlemania in the 60's, and he and Yoko's protest period in the early 70's. He could give two hoots about the record business at this point, and works only when he wants to.Paul, on the other hand, loves being who he is and making music, which John chides every chance he gets as "Silly Love Songs" and "Nursery Rhymes", much to Paul's chagrin.These two start off cautious and cool towards each other....Paul more warm than John.Slowly the ice begins to melt as they reminisce and re-connect.They laugh and joke and play music and sing songs one minute, then are in heated verbal fights the next, running the gamut of emotions you might (ehh-hem!) imagine (forgive the pun!) them to feel after seeing each other for the first time in six years. (-:They even go out on the town incognito, dressed in ridiculous derby hats and moustaches.John, ever caustic and sardonic, really reams out a fan or two who recognize the twoin a restuarant and come over with Beatles-talk and making ridiculous demands.The scene is hilarious, and seems like something that John may have actually done.Overall, this is a great little flight of creative fancy which gives us an glimpseof what might have really happened in this alleged and fateful reunion.I found it to be engrossing, humorous in places, and very charming.If you're into The Beatles, Paul McCartney and John Lennon, you'll love this!

Frasier_Fan 2012-05-05 04:57:29

One of the best biographical films containing one or more Beatles

Even though I'm quite young, The Beatles are my ABSOLUTELY FAVOURITE band!I never had the chance to hear their music as it was releases but havelovedthem since I can remember.It's the sort of film that is worth trying the once. I can see why itwasn't released in the cinema but it is certainly a great film to put ontheTV. I was flicking through my TV guide and happened to see this film, itdidn't much details except something like, 'John Lennon and Paul McCartneymeet after The Beatles have broken up, Jared Harris Stars'. I'd neverheardof him (he played John) or Aiden Quinn who played Paul. However they arecertainly underestimated actors!The film had a slow start but as it developed, I could see how well Quinnbut especially Harris played their characters. As a huge fan, I sort ofknow what the real Lennon and McCartney are like. The script wasbrilliantand Harris got Lennon's accent, personality and mannerisms spot on! Quinnplayed McCartney quite well but sometimes went into his Irish accent. THemake-up artists made them look excellent.THIS PARAGRAPH MAY BE COUNTED AS A *SPOILER*:As I mentioned before, it got off to a slow start but soon developed andbecame quite an emotional film. I found the bit in the park a total wasteof time and quite out of character for both of the musicians. As forLennon's rude line in the Italian restaurant, totally unnecessary. Theending was very poignant and brings a tear to my eye whenever I watchit.It is quite different from the other biographical films I've seen whereit'sabout how The Beatles got together and became famous, and those neverreallydid the characters that well. E.g. 'Backbeat'.In conclusion, I would say, if you're a Beatles or John Lennon or PaulMcCartney fan, give it a chance you may have pleasent surprise. At onlyabout 95 minutes long, it's worth waiting for the film todevelop.If anyone does know whether the meeting of 1976 really did happen pleasesend it to the 'comments page' for this film, I'd be very interested.

Pat-181 2012-05-04 20:13:39

Surprisingly good!

I still wonder why I watched this movie. Admittedly, before I viewed thisfilm, I knew practicly nothing about the beatles. I didn't even know alltheir names! All I knew was that they had a ton of fans, they had somealbums that some people claim to be the greatest ever, they broke up, Johnmarried Yoko Ono, and John was murdered.Also, VH1 isn't even my favorite music station, MTV is. Still,forsome reason or another I decided to watch it, not expecting much.Surprisingly, I enjoyed it very much! The dialogue was written and handledvery well with the occasion of a slight accent mess up. This is veryimportant, because John and Paul talking is pretty much the whole film,allthough they are taken outside to explore more possibilities,and to keep you watching. Jared Harris and Adien Quinn give goodperformaces,overall.The ending was also very smart. I enjoyed how the movie gets youexcited about the SNL performace,and then slaps you over the head and makes you realize that it would bebetter if they just let it go, and end it on a good note. My favoritemomentis probably the touching rooftop scene.Overall, I recommend this film to almost everyone. It is averygood way of settling your curiosity of what could have happened if 6yearsafter the break up Paul just showed up on John's doorstep. Which isprobablythe main reason of my viewing this film, settling my curiosity on who thebeatles really were and what could have happened to them after thebreakup.

2012-05-02 01:35:04

a trip back in time

This is a good movie the actors are great the only thing missing is music it would have been nice to have more but a beatles fan will love this show !

2012-05-01 15:26:29

Fooled me!

When I first heard about this film, I thought, "Harris and Quinn?" How will they pull it off? For one thing, there was the item of physical non-resemblance. But with the addition of a little nose putty, I was suprised to be able to see Lennon quite easily in Harris. Quinn's physical resemblance to McCartney is even more remote (you can add putty to a nose but you can't perform rhinoplastic reduction with makeup!), but factor in the clothes and hair and he comes closer. But it's the body language and speech which make him convincing. I didn't notice in the credits if there was a vocal coach, but if there was, he/she knows his/her stuff. If the actors developed their own accents and cadences, that's even more to their credit. They obviously studied these men assiduously. In some scenes I found myself feeling horribly sentimental, being of a "certain age." The picture is nicely staged, paced, and photographed. Entertaining start to finish.

Janet Majors 2012-04-25 05:21:46

One of the best Beatles films without the Beatles in it!

Very Slight Spoiler This movie (despite being only on TV) is absolutely excellent. I didn`treally pay attention to the differences in looks or accents, so I can`treally comment on that. The acting in this was so good I had to pinch myselfand say "Remember, it`s only a movie, this DIDN`T REALLY HAPPEN". As I satand listened to Harris and Quinn talk, I knew that it was exactly what Johnand Paul would be talking about had they actually had this meeting. Theoffhanded comments and burns from John were right on with hischaracter(especially in the restaurant!), as was his depression while Paulwas very easy going and laid back. Both actors did and excellent job and Iwas thrilled to have seen this movie. It`s a wicked experience for anyBeatles fan. And prepare for a few surprises!

HunterK 2012-04-24 13:57:47

A fairly accurate look into the Beatles breakup and the relationship between John & Paul

I am a big Beatles fan. My favorite Beatle is Paul and my least favoriteisJohn. I already knew quite a bit about the Beatles music and the truthbehind the breakup, as well as things like John Lennon's family and Paul'sband Wings. I was curious to see how this movie would handle therelationship between John and Paul so many years after thebreakup.I was not disappointed by this movie. Although the story itself isfiction,many of the references that the two musicians used were very accurate.Theseincluded how Yoko Ono would always be with John wherever he went, theWingssong "Silly Love Songs" being the number one hit that year and the concerton the roof of Apple Studios playing music from the album "Let ItBe."The actors did a very good job in playing John and Paul. The accents couldhad used maybe a bit more work, but they seemed to act a lot like I'vereadthe two former-Beatles used to act like. I also liked the dialogue betweenthem, which was basically what the entire movie was.The ending at first disappointed me, but the more you think about it themore you will appreciate it, especially since this was how it really wentinreal life. They also show the fantastic skit from "Saturday Night Live" inwhich the Beatles are offered $3,000 to perform on the show. (as comparedtothe $220 million others were offering them) Overall, I was notdisappointedwith this movie. It does really give you more of a feel for why theBeatlesbroke up and why they never got back together.

jazwumun 2012-04-22 11:17:54

Imagine there's no quarrels.......it's easy if you're VH1

As a musician, and devout worshipper of the Beatles, I was more than alittle bit puzzled as to how VH1 could and would pull off the fictional"reunion" of perhaps, the most significant songwriters in the lastmillenium. I was worried that it would drip of the saccharine "BabyBoomerism" that made films such as Forrest Gump walk the indefinable linebetween touching and nauseatingly univiewed. I must say to VH1's credit,that unlike the horrific job they did with the Meat Loaf story "To Hell andBack.," this was subtle, and endearing without sacrificing a reality thatgrounded it in the here and now.Firstly, Paul and John did in fact meet in New York to patch up theirdifferences on that day in 1976, he has said that in interviews...what isdifferent about the actual reunion is that Yoko was present in real lifeandwas absent here for the film, which is already the first entry intofiction,and let's face it...a convenient one. Jared Harris, was absolutelybreathtaking as John, right on down to the way he'd pace his speechpatterns. Attention to actual accents was less important to me, than thepattern they were so known for. I will admit that the continual delvinginto the past he couldn't and wouldn't let go of, i.e., the death of themother who had abandoned him as a child and the father who was as uselessasballs on the Pope, got to be a bit soap opera-like, but no matter, the wit,the phrasing and the intensity that only Lennon had, was very closelybrought back here.Aidan Quinn as Mc.Cartney was not only astonishingly surprising, he wasliterally dead on. He was Paul, the charming, soft spoken, romanticthinkerand apt businessman with the "pretty face" that even after the harshest ofwords could still reach down and stir John's battered soul in the way Yokonever could (nothing against Yoko of course...)The movie was small, and I'm grateful for that because it gave one theability to be the fly on the wall...and those moments as great in magnitudeas they have the potential to be, are in fact quite small. John was therebel, Paul the romantic realist, both wanted peace, both achieved it intheend. I absolutely choked up during the end of the film, cause you know asPaul walks out the door, that John's all too horrific ending is nowinevitable.As I shut the TV off, one thing was left with me..."And in the end...the love you take...is equal to the love youmake."

2012-04-22 05:33:38

A must-see for all Beatles fans.

This film is worth seeing alone for Jared Harris' outstanding portrayal ofJohn Lennon. It doesn't matter that Harris doesn't exactly resembleLennon;his mannerisms, expressions, posture, accent and attitude are pure Lennon.Best scene: Lennon in a local cafe verbally sparring with a stutteringfanas to whether Paul McCartney & Wings' "Silly Love Songs" is worthy of #1status in America.

2012-04-19 04:30:16

Made me cry....

....for all the memories it brought back. This is an absolutely brilliant play about "what if....". I was so lucky to have grown up with the Beatles. They changed the world.

2012-04-18 16:16:10

A fabulous "what if..."

I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for good "fan-fiction" about my favorite bands and musicians, and that was the lure to me when I first heard about this movie. A "what if" story about a rumored meeting between the long-estranged band members, this film delivered more than I'd ever hoped for.The lead actors may not bear the strongest physical resemblance to John and Paul, but they more than make up for it in the way they both seem to "inhabit" these "characters", and allow you to fall under the illusion they create for the film. And for a film that is primarily 90 minutes of two people talking (mostly in John's NY apartment, and then in Central Park and a tiny cafe), it is surprisingly engaging and swift-moving. You don't need to be a Beatles expert to appreciate this film, although some basic knowledge of Paul and (particularly) John's personal histories do make the story that much richer.The ending is bittersweet, but the only way the story really could have gone. As soon as I finished watching this movie the first time I knew I had to have it on DVD, as it's a story I'm going to want to revisit many times in the future, I'm sure. All in all, WAY more than I expected from a made-for-VH1 film.