Yesterday

We were so gripped by the intense drama in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame that we didn’t think of the myriad repercussions of Thanos’ snap. Just think of the impact that would have on pop culture!

It’s a pondering that Danny Boyle and Richard Curtis probably didn’t have when putting together Yesterday, but it’s fun to think of all the same.

Imagine a world without The Beatles. When Nowhere Man musician Jack Malik is hit by a bus during a power outage Across The Universe, he wakes to find that the band never existed, but he still remembers the songs.

How does one Carry That Weight? Would you grasp the opportunity and accept the chance to be the greatest songwriter of all time? That’s the dilemma that Boyle and Curtis smartly wrestle with here.

Despite the fab subject matter, this is still posited as a very British, very Curtis, summer romantic blockbuster. There’s a Girl, and we travel with Jack on The Long And Winding Road to stardom, complicated by his desire to Get Back to where he once belonged.

It’s funny, thought-provoking and will surprise you with some of the plot direction. It does lose its comedic touch a little halfway through after a hilarious beginning exploring some of the other repercussions of this situation (Oasis are also scrubbed from the musical map for example) as we travel towards a predictably saccharine ending but it never skimps on charm.

Himesh Patel is fantastic in the lead role and his relationship with Lily James’ Ellie is believable and sweet and they are ably supported by a great extended cast. Even Ed Sheeran, who appears far more than you may think, is game, happy to mock himself and, by playing himself, acts well even if the smattering of his own songs is a little self-indulgent.

Not to sound overtly hipster, but there’s an argument that the song choices aren’t always on the money. The stripped back versions of the songs suit the film perfectly but any actual Beatles fan can see that they’ve tailored the songs to the ‘dancing-in-the-aisles’ family audiences they want to pull in. Whilst this is wholly understandable, it serves to leave the musical asides feeling a little disjointed. For every heart-breaking rendition of In My Life or Help (perfectly placed given its lyrical content) there are some obvious choices and better songs are left by the wayside, George Harrison is given very short shrift.

When everything is said and done though, Boyle closes with Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da and ‘life goes on’ could easily tagline this film. We’re lucky to have been graced with this music but life would continue if it had never been written. In The End, Tomorrow Never Knows. Enjoy the here and now, Because things are good.

4 stars ****