Last Updated on August 5, 2021
PLOT: Jack Malik is a struggling musician looking to make his mark. During a worldwide blackout, he is hurt during a traffic accident. While recovering from his injuries, he makes the strange discover that the massive power outage has erased everyone’s memories of the legendary band, The Beatles. This leads to him finding stardom courtesy of few very familiar tunes.
REVIEW: Sometimes you step into a film, and it just connects on a personal level. Maybe it’s the story, or something about a character that resonates, but either way it just works. YESTERDAY was one of those films for this viewer. Fueled by the music of The Beatles with fine performances from both Himesh Patel and Lily James, the Danny Boyle directed feature is a delightfully engaging experience. While it may not be the most profound look at how the legendary music of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr has left its mark on the world we live in, it does so in a charming fashion. And thankfully, Mr. Patel does a nice job of belting out arguably some of the best songs ever recorded.
Himesh Patel is Jack Malik, a local musician trying to bring his talents to the world. Unfortunately for him, his best friend and manager Ellie Appleton (Lily James) rarely can get him a gig that attracts an audience. Then something happens. The entire world goes black for only a few seconds, and during the massive blackout, Malik is thrown off his bicycle and nearly killed. During that time however, something magical happened. While playing a new guitar – a gift that Ellie gave him – he finds that his friends have no idea who The Beatles are. In fact, the entire world has forgotten about the band. Malik realizes that he can play their music, and take credit for the popular tunes – only after his friends are convinced he wrote the songs. Soon, a self involved but powerful music executive named Debra Hammer (a perhaps too over-the-top Kate McKinnon) discovers the young man and success quickly follows. However, is it the kind of success he truly desires.
There's a reason certain films are considered “feel good movies.” And YESTERDAY is a pretty good example of one of them. This is a light and cheerful flick about a musician discovering that fame and fortune may not be what it’s cracked up to be. Sure it’s an idea we’ve seen numerous times, however there’s so much here that will put a smile on your face. Even in the darkest moments, the film never gets too serious about its subject matter. While this is certainly a movie filled with music, it’s ultimately a love story between Ellie and Jack, one that is complicated by success and lies. So if you are looking for some deep and complex look at the moral and ethical motives behind Jack taking credit for music that isn’t his, you won’t really find that here. This is just a romantic feature with some terrific music courtesy of Patel and his impressive musical abilities – and an inspired cameo from singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran.
Speaking of Himesh, as the star of the film, he manages to give Jack a lot of heart. It’d be easy to judge his actions as deceptive and morally bankrupt, yet that’s something you can easily get past. This is just a guy that wants to play music so his motives never feel particularly deceitful. One of the most interesting sub-plots involve a couple of “fans” who appear to remember the Fab Four themselves, and frankly it was a nice take. As far as his co-star, Lily James is terrific here. The two share an undeniable chemistry, which is almost problematic because we see that they could be together much quicker than they realize. The romantic aspect tends to feel a bit obvious, but thankfully the two fantastic actors easily make it work.
Working from a script by Richard Curtis, Danny Boyle creates a musical journey that should easily appeal to general audiences. While his visual style is put to excellent use, his love of music and of course the band that he is celebrating is clear. This is a gorgeous film that is directed far better than most romantic comedies – which is essentially what this is – and there is a good chance that audiences will respond to this particular tale. My only real complaint here is that the story could’ve placed a bit more importance on the nature of this man using music that’s not his. As well, the how and the why it happens are just pure fantasy without any real explanation. Suddenly, the world doesn’t know about The Beatles, and a few other choice subjects and words that offer a couple of very funny moments.
YESTERDAY is a lively and charming musical story that pays a loving tribute to The Beatles. While some may have issues with a movie about a guy that technically steals a bunch of great songs and performs them as his own, it has much more to offer than that. Ultimately, to really care about this musician struggling to have his voice heard, you have to care about the one bringing that voice to the story. Patel is well cast here, yet I’m not sure if this would have worked without Ms. James. She once again gives a lovely performance that brings a ton of heart to an already cheerful film. The romantic fable surrounding the pair works because these two give their all to their performances, and Boyle brings it all to life. There is much to enjoy here, and if you don’t take the story that seriously, you’ll find a surprisingly sweet and touching celebration of the music that continues to gives fans joy.
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