Yesterday * * 1/2
I struggle to believe this is the same director who gave us Trainspotting and the utterly brilliant Steve Jobs. And I struggle to believe it is was written by the brilliant Richard Curtis, but there you go...
It's a cute little idea which might have worked well for a short tele-movie, but for a feature film it wears out it's welcome about half way through.
Each to his own, but I also thought Yesterday was wrongly cast. It's admirable to bring new talent to the screen and straight into a lead role, but I just couldn't warm to Himesh Patel as the lead character, Jack Malik. I didn't find him particularly charismatic or lovable, which is ironic for a man who sings songs by The Beatles. I don't think The Beatles would have made it if he'd been one of them.
As the plot is in every synopsis and trailer, I won't be spoiling things if I tell you that the story is about a global blackout which causes a fracture in time or something, so that it turns out The Beatles never existed. Or so the world thinks. But our lead character was unconscious during the blackout and he still remembers The Beatles and their songs. As no one else does he decides to make himself rich and famous on the back of them. Which he does, all the time struggling with his conscience.
As the story unfolds we learn a few other things have been wiped out of history and existence too. Some mercifully so: no Beatles = no Oasis (how good would that be?!)
Lily James plays his long time manager and love interest. She seems to be the girl who will take the English Rose mantle off Keira Knightly and will soon be cast in just about everything. Kate McKinnon plays his American Agent and she is really funny! Probably the best part of the film. Oh, and there is a real pop star called Ed Sheeran, who I've never heard of, who plays himself.
For me, the best part of Yesterday was merely incidental. It's the reminder of just how good The Beatles songs were - and still are.
It's a cute little idea which might have worked well for a short tele-movie, but for a feature film it wears out it's welcome about half way through.
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| Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.....No! |
As the plot is in every synopsis and trailer, I won't be spoiling things if I tell you that the story is about a global blackout which causes a fracture in time or something, so that it turns out The Beatles never existed. Or so the world thinks. But our lead character was unconscious during the blackout and he still remembers The Beatles and their songs. As no one else does he decides to make himself rich and famous on the back of them. Which he does, all the time struggling with his conscience.
As the story unfolds we learn a few other things have been wiped out of history and existence too. Some mercifully so: no Beatles = no Oasis (how good would that be?!)
Lily James plays his long time manager and love interest. She seems to be the girl who will take the English Rose mantle off Keira Knightly and will soon be cast in just about everything. Kate McKinnon plays his American Agent and she is really funny! Probably the best part of the film. Oh, and there is a real pop star called Ed Sheeran, who I've never heard of, who plays himself.
For me, the best part of Yesterday was merely incidental. It's the reminder of just how good The Beatles songs were - and still are.
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