In His Life: The John Lennon Story (2000)

Few people really watch film biographies to learn something new about the subject; what they're really watching for is to see how much the actors look like their famous counterparts. In that regard, In His Life: The John Lennon Story scores very high on the Docu-Drama Look-alike Meter: Irish actor Philip McQuillen, who beat out 300 other would-be Beatles for the role, achieves just the right amount of snarly rebelliousness and steadfast determination that we've come to accept as true about John Lennon. He even has the nose. But as good as McQuillen is, Daniel McGowan's Paul McCartney, with his hound dog eyes and pensive manner, knocks his performance out of the park. (The only weak link in the casting is Kristian Ealey's Ringo Starr, who looks so little like the real deal he's barely seen, and when he absolutely has to be onscreen, he's cut away from instantly.) As for the story, there are the usual docu-drama liberties taken, but overall the tale is convincingly told in a comfortable, straightforward manner; there are copious scenes that provide insight as to Lennon's motivations and his development as a musician. The music, recorded for the film and not actual Beatles performances, is interestingly -- and suitably -- raw. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide