Sam Taylor-Wood tells a good tale in Sunday’s Observer Music Magazine. Her movie about John Lennon (Nowhere Boy) depicts “one of the biggest icons in the world” and she describes her concerns about making the film as sensitive as possible to Ono, McCartney and the other keepers of the Beatles flame.

She builds the emotional tension nicely:
“So I did have a moment where I just thought, ‘I don’t know if I can do this.’ Then I got in the car and turned the ignition on and Lennon came on the radio and I thought, ‘OK I’m doing this.’”

The song was (Just Like) Starting Over. Released as a single on 24 October 1980, it reached number one in both the USA and UK two weeks after Lennon was killed.

Thank you, and you did pass the audition, Sam…

1. There’s no escaping that claustrophobic digicam point of view
2. Likeable characters including the ballsy woman who takes one for the team
3. Enormous monster that trashes skyscrapers plus horrid little ones that get up-close and personal
4. Best line from army guy: “Whatever it is – it’s winning!”
5. Utterly astounding ending that turns it all into a chick-flick