‘Yesterday’
is the latest feature film from British director/screenwriter/producer Danny
Boyle (‘Trainspotting,’ ’28 Days Later,’ ‘Sunshine,’ ‘Slumdog Millionaire’), a
musical-fantasy rom-com that dares us to "imagine" (the Lennon song, get it?) a world that never knew the
Beatles except for three individuals including its protagonist, a struggling
singer-songwriter named Jack Malik played by Himesh Patel.
When
I saw the trailer of ‘Yesterday,’ I was instantly intrigued by its premise of an
unassuming down‑on‑his‑luck coffeehouse
acoustic singer and would-be songwriter who, after surviving being hit by a bus
while riding his bike home during a blackout, discovered that nobody else in
the world knows who the Beatles are (except for two others as he found out
later). Apparently the Fab Four wasn’t
the only thing that never existed in this bizarre parallel universe; Coke (as
in Coca-Cola) and Harry Potter are also conspicuously missing in Google
searches as Jack found to his consternation. With the Beatles’ extensive catalog
to mine from, Jack’s luck unsurprisingly took a turn for the better as he skyrocketed
faster than the “Rocketman” to fame overnight.
How will Jack cope with becoming an instant sensation all the while
knowing that he’s a fraud? And more
importantly, how will he juggle his newfound success with the yearning desire
of his heart in the guise of his best friend and former manager Ellie (Lily
James)?
While
‘Yesterday’ isn’t as deep or profound as what we’ve come to expect from Danny
Boyle, it is nonetheless a fresh and unique crowd-pleaser and homage to the
Beatles that’s undeniably entertaining in its own eccentric way, and the best
part is that you don’t even have to be a Beatlemaniac to enjoy this delectable
slice of musical heaven.
Grade: A
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