338. Yesterday; movie review

YESTERDAY
Cert 12A
119 mins
BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong language, drug references, moderate sex references

Ok, I have always loved The Beatles, have a soft spot for much of writer Richard Curtis's work and have loved much of director Danny Boyle's.
So, as Mrs. W rightly pointed out at the end of Yesterday, I was "bound to like it".
Well, yes I did but not without reservations. I am afraid I found the main character a tad irritating rather than charming and funny.
It is impossible to say whether that was down to Hamish Patel although I didn't feel that he had the screen presence which the role demanded.
Patel plays Jack, who is failing as a singer/songwriter, playing in front of tiny audiences in pubs and clubs.
He has one devoted fan in Ellie (Lily James) who also acts as his manager and roadie.
Then one night, the world literally goes dark for 12 seconds, Jack is hit by a bus and when he recovers, everyone but he has forgotten the songs of The Beatles.
So, his life changes as he begins to strum Yesterday and his pals are wowed, believing he has written it.
And, then despite his conscience telling him otherwise, he lays claim to the entire Fab Four back catalogue and becomes world-famous in the process.
Thus, his 'relationship' with Ellie becomes submerged beneath his thrust for fame and new friends such as Ed Sheeran, who plays himself, and greedy management in the shape of Kate McKinnon.
I liked the original premise of Yesterday and the great music which was sung well, if not entirely convincingly by Patel.
Of course, it has the same continuity problem as all time-rip stories and it wouldn't take much to expose a few plot holes.
Its central romance also stretched belief a tad too far.
But, hey, this is fantasy so it is worth rolling with and, thanks to the combo of Curtis and Boyle, there is still plenty to admire and enjoy.
And, at least it offered an antidote to the plethora of summer superhero movies.

Reasons to watch: Charming and original
Reasons to avoid: Not sure about the lead

Laughs: Five
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? Paul McCartney feared he had subconsciously plagiarised Yesterday and went around for a month, asking people in the music business if they had heard it before.

Final word. Danny Boyle: "At casting, Himesh Patel walked in and played “Yesterday” and “Back in the U.S.S.R.” and it was the purest moment. You get those occasionally in casting where you just go, “Oh my god, that’s him.” They felt like his songs, they didn’t feel like Paul McCartney’s songs." Variety

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