The Hours and Times

Stars: David Angus, Ian Hart. More of a curio than a compelling feature film, this one-hour black & white drama, written and directed by Christopher Munch, speculates on a four day trip to Barcelona which John Lennon (Ian Hart) and early Beatles' manager Brian Epstein (David Angus) take in 1963, just months before Beatlemania hit worldwide. Lennon, the angry young working class rebel, is drawn to the more upscale and openly gay Epstein, but his first marriage and his ambivalence toward homosexuality make him hesitant to acknowledge Epstein's advances. Both Hart and Angus are good lookalikes, and the story has an obvious built-in interest to the majority of baby-boomers. However, the subject matter is too limited. When not talking about or alluding to gay issues, the boys mostly stare off into space as if distracted and uncertain about the future (which may be realistic, but doesn't necessarily make for an interesting scene). There is very little Beatle-related chitchat and not so much as a note of Beatle music (Spanish guitar and piano comprise the musical background). As a character study then, The Hours and Times is occasionally interesting and contains some good dialogue, but it's not the "Beatles" film that people might be expecting. Audience: Curious baby-boomers, many of whom will be disappointed.