Movie Review: Yesterday
In this rom-com director Danny Boyle (Slum Dog Millionaire) follows the trials and tribulations of a struggling artist through the “what if” alternate timeline where The Beatles and their iconic music don’t exist. An interesting, original, and refreshing premise that should bring a pleasant and needed counter to all the sequels, super heroes, and franchises that traditionally glut the summer movie market.
Needless to say, the soundtrack for this film goes beyond exceptional (I’m sure the rights to the songs alone cost a fortune). Sure to delight and bring a smile to the face of any Beatles’ fan.
The casting of actor Himesh Patel is spot on. Patel flaunts his singing and playing chops (yes, he really does sing and play throughout the film) in addition to acting to great effect. Becoming one to keep an eye out for in the process. More than holding his own with/against Ed Sheeran along the way. Lily James is sweet, cute, and adorable. The chemistry with Patel is believable and sells the whole “girl next door” setup between the two and completely unobjectionable.
For me, that’s where Yesterday falls short of its potential.
The premise is there, the questions are presented, but the film plays it safe and doesn’t explore much beyond the traditional rom/com trope of bff’s that are into each other and never say anything, yadda, yadda, yadda. Even the exploration of the world missing Beatles’ songs (and a number of other things that has disappeared) isn’t delved into too deeply. Is it the songs themselves, the shared experience against the historical era they sprang from that the world is missing? Good questions, ones Yesterday doesn’t attempt to answer and so many more.
The story is overall enjoyable, but flat and uninspired. It also gets long in the tooth. The last 15 to 20 minutes or so, I was more than ready for the film to come to its inevitable nice, sweet, and predictable ending.
There’s plenty to like/enjoy about Yesterday and what works really works. Kate McKinnon and Joel Fry bring the funny in their respective if not stereotypical roles. I just wanted a little more substance to sink my teeth into on this one. Middle-of-the-road fare for sure. Not great, but far from bad. If you need to get out of the heat for a few hours, check this one out in the theater. Otherwise, waiting to watch it at home isn’t a bad choice.
I’m giving this one a 6.
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