Jack (Himesh Patel) is a mediocre musician who is prepared to give up on his career, to the dismay of his devoted childhood friend and manager Ellie (Lily James). And then he wakes up one day and it's as if the Beatles never existed. Jack soon realizes the possibilities presented by this situation, and goes off on a journey that catapults him to the top of his game. Naturally, he discovers that success and fame have their price...
The acting and the writing in Yesterday work hand in hand to charm the pants off viewers. Special kudos goes to roadie extraordinaire Rocky (Joel Frye) and Jack's parents, played by Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal. A famous musician also plays a key role in the plot, one who is very game indeed. The only blip on the radar here is Kate McKinnon, whom I love, and her very over-the-top portrayal of a music industry player. Maybe her performance just clashes with Patel's low-key sad sack hero? In any case, the dialogue is sparkling, darling, absolutely sparkling, with dry British humor on full display.
While obviously a big theme here is the brilliance of music and the ability of beautiful songs to connect to millions/billions, a reveal at the very end gave me a sneaking suspicion that this is also Danny Boyle's love song to British culture and the phenomenal artists it produces. The movie also explores the themes of responsibility, friendship, honesty, and luuuurve. Because, my dears, romance is in the air! Guess who gets the girl!
Snark aside, Yesterday does contain many surprises, my favorite being the judicious use of "The Long and Winding Road." Plus, Jack's attempts to stay true to the Beatle's vision(s) are hilariously obstructed by our modern times (c.f. "Hey Jude," album titles). And the biggest surprise is just how touching Patel's rendition of the Beatles songs are--he has clear, strong vocals that express his connection with the melody and the lyrics he's performing. He's so dreamy.
In conclusion, Yesterday is a delight. Perfect for father-daughter time, date night, or really just any time you can get away from the kids so you don't have to explain why the man on the screen is so sad when everyone around him is so happy. I guess "He's British" could work, eh? ;-)
TL;DR: A beautifully executed concept. Cheers. (British voice)
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This post brought to you by delicious Rioja!
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