I watched Danny Boyle’s Yesterday a second time anticipating all the exciting bits and enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time. Yesterday is about Jack Malik, a down-on-his-luck musician playing smalltime gigs, who wakes up after a brief but global power outage to a world that has forgotten the 60’s iconic pop group The Beatles. At first, he is troubled and utterly confused as to why no one except himself remembers The Beatles but soon sees an opportunity in this unfortunate situation. He goes out belting one hit after another, all the while ignoring the fact that none of the songs are his own. Although, somewhere deep down, Jack is not comfortable about it. We explore more in the Yesterday film review.
With an entirely original script, Yesterday has a lot going for it. There are the incredible tunes of The Beatles and excellent performances of all the actors. Kate McKinnon, as Jack’s agent Deborah, is terrific. So is Lily James as his girlfriend Elle, while Jack himself is played exceptionally well by Himesh Patel.
Others deserve mention as well, in particular, Jack’s on the road pal Rocky played by Joel Fry, who is ever so amusing. Jack’s parents played by Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal light up the screen with their performances.
The excellent chemistry between Lily James and Himesh Patel, accompanied by the smashing music keeps you glued to the screen. Yesterday has all the elements of a great romcom. The terrific chemistry between the lead actors and the brilliant supporting cast, which includes musician Ed Sheeran, makes the movie look and sound just fabulous.
While fans of The Beatles will no doubt enjoy this movie more than the others, there is something here for everyone. If you are looking for a completely original story that is charmingly brought to screen, look no further than Yesterday. A few more songs of The Beatles in the film would have made the day for the fans.
On the downside, some bits feel staged, and even though it is an original idea, Yesterday can still at times sound and feel like a few movies that you have seen before. Barring these shortcomings, Yesterday is perfect entertainment.
I thoroughly recommend watching Yesterday and enjoying the iconic music accompanied by fantastic acting. A world without The Beatles is indeed infinitely worse. Very few people know of The John Lennon Peace Movement, but ultimately a world where everyone lives in peace would be an ideal world. As I watched Yesterday, I realized just how much the world has changed, and not all of it is for the better.
(4 / 5)
What do you think?