Last night I was fortunate to catch an an early screening of Danny Boyle's Yesterday.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.
During a freakish worldwide blackout, a young musician is hit by a bus and wakes to find no one else remembers the Beatles.
Dear Reader(s), a disclaimer: Yesterday is not a science fiction film. It does not get into the hows and whys of the blackout or the items subsequently missing from memory. The story simply moves forward on the premise that it happened, and it expects viewers to do the same.
Yesterday presents an interesting quandary: What if you were the only person who remembered something as previously well-known and well-loved as the music of the Beatles? What if you could return to the world a wonderful thing it was suddenly missing? What if you stood to gain from doing so? These questions weigh heavily on Jack Malik, portrayed with humble charm by Himesh Patel, and his struggle gives anchor to what otherwise might seem a flighty premise. Lily James is endearing as Jack's stalwart manager/number-one fan, and Ed Sheeran is terrific playing Ed Sheeran With a Bigger Ego. Ed gets full marks for being a good sport here, and as a fan I am excited that what I expected to be a cameo is actually a significant role, complete with a new song! Kate McKinnon is a little too much (as she often is) as the brash Big Deal Music Manager, but she's a small misstep in what's otherwise a pretty perfect movie.
Yesterday tells its unique tale in flawless fashion, with nary an instant where your attention might stray. The Beatles' music is as magical as ever, and Patel sings their songs as if he were born for it. The film's humor is self-deprecating and well placed, offering laugh-out-loud moments as well as sympathetic chuckles. If you are a Beatles fan, there's a gut-punch in the final act that hurts like hell, but, objectively speaking, it adds yet another layer to an already well-crafted story and the movie is better for it.
Yesterday clocks in at 116 minutes and is rated PG13 for "suggestive content and language."
Yesterday takes a horrifying idea--a world without the Beatles--and turns it into an uplifting story about the power of music, truth, and love.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Yesterday gets nine. Fangirl points: I mean, Ed, obviously.
Also great to see Sanjeev Bhaskar and Sarah Lancashire!
Until next time, as Sir Ringo would say, "Peace and love!"
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