Yesterday

Saw it at my cinema in Lovran, Croatia just a few hours ago, so it's still pretty "fresh" while I'm writing this. The whole idea is great, haven't seen those yet in mainstream cinema. The plot is pretty much straight-forward, with likeable characters, great music (of course) and when the movie was over, it left me with good feeling and a smile on my face still singing Hey Jude.

All actors are really good, but Lily James is so adorable in this movie! She shines in her character and steals every scene she is in. Liked her the most (obviously).

Take your girlfriend/boyfriend/friends/family to see this rom-com fantasy music comedy in cinema on a big screen, and even if you won't like the movie, you will sing Beatles songs after and feel good about it (guaranteed)!

What would you do, if something happened and seemingly everyone has no recollection of one of the best known groups ever? That would be the Beatles in that case, if you were wondering. And add to that that you would be a struggling musician - which would only add to the already quite high confusion.

Now this movie flows along as one may expect (if you have accepted the concept and suspended your disbelief, because not only is no one aware of the Beatles but they have been erased from everywhere except our main characters brain) ... which is either great or confusing to watch.

Danny Boyle does a really good job with a one punch movie tag line. The main actor is really good and while the love story is so obvious it hurts, everyone can enjoy this ... I'll call it fairy tale ...

Among other things, specifically The Beatles would be strange, only of course if you were one of the very few who had prior knowledge of them. An interesting concept caused by a blackout phenomenon that is never explained; which is fine, as the goal is not to describe why, just what it would be like.

The music is fantastic obviously, and huge kudos to Himesh Patel for doing all his own singing. The movie is generally a feel good flick with an underlying love story. There's nothing else that is really spectacular about it, so to me this was a good movie made by one of the more creative filmmakers out there.

My favourite scene has to be near the end when our main character meets with that one specific musical icon in his old age. Makes one think how differently things in the world could be depending on some people's life choices.

After being subjected to a number of films documenting the lives of musicians - most notably "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Rocketman" and "Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story" - it is truly a pleasure to be presented with a film that sheds light on the work and life of an artist while not adhering to the strict (though desirable) biographical approach. That is exactly what makes the piece so marvellous; I came out of the cinema with a greater appreciation of The Beatles, and their music, through a fictional story that did not feature the four men we are familiar with at all. Quite often the film achieved my admiration for the band without me consciously noticing.

On another level, the film made a satire of the modern music industry. It revealed how the apparent "solo" artists are far from their titles; with huge teams of people pushing them in a preferred, and more commercial, creative direction, taking the musicians' creative power. This was done in a humorous light (as most themes are presented in the film). The romantic aspect of the film is evident from the beginning and is a dominant aspect of the story, possibly shifting the focus of the piece a little too much. However, it still helps provides a satisfying ending.

The film pays a great amount of respect in a fresh way while cleverly interweaving other conflicts.

There were three main reasons really in seeing 'Yesterday'. The alternative world scenario sounded truly fascinating, one of the most fascinating concepts in recent years to me and a refreshing change from the remakes and sequels constantly made today. Like to love a lot of Danny Boyle's previous films and find him a talented director. The Beatles are not all time favourites but do appreciate him highly, understand their influence in music and like a lot of their songs a lot.

While it could have done more with its concept, 'Yesterday' turned out to still be entertaining and charming that put me and my sister in an uplifting mood leaving the cinema. Had not had an easy day, or week even, up to seeing the film, so 'Yesterday' was a much needed and appreciated antidote. As far as films released in 2019 go, it is neither one of the best or worst in a hit and miss year and somewhere around solid middle if having to rank.

'Yesterday' is a slick looking film, not exemplary but never cheap. Lily James looks great and the camera clearly loves her. The music of course is fantastic, it is The Beatles after all, with some of their greatest hits exuberantly performed, making one want to sing along regardless of whether they know all the words or not. "Hey Jude" is one of the most memorable examples. The script balances amusing comedy and never over-sentimental drama without making it too cartoonish or mawkish (well mostly).

Story-wise, 'Yesterday' captures the feel-good spirit affectionately and the portrayal of the music industry was fun and didn't get over the top. The John Lennon bit is a highlight. Boyle has done better and more inspired direction, but still directs at a crisp pace and balances things quite well. The performances are good, a truly charming James coming off best. Himesh Patel has come on a long way since 'EastEnders' while Kate McKinnon is riotous in the manager role.

On the other viewpoint, the concept was so fascinating and while it is always engaging the story is predictable and a bit too ordinary. Especially the final third, which is pretty much exactly as one would expect.

Ed Sheeran's "extended cameo" for my tastes was rather puzzling and didn't seem to gel with everything else.

All that aside, it was an enjoyable film on the whole and worth seeing. 7/10