Yesterday Review
Myla Tosatto
It’s that time of year again. The time when we load up the fam and head to the local Cineplex to catch the latest BIG! HOLLYWOOD! BLOCKBUSTERS!!!! Oooorrrrr (and hear me out) we could load up the family and take them to the small yet delightful film, Yesterday. Though this movie dips its toe a wee bit into the scifi genre, there is not an explosion or an alien or a superhero to be seen. That is a blessed thing. Instead, we are treated to a charming film about a man who is presumably the only living person to remember The Beatles.
Jack Malik (Himesh Patel) is a simple singer/songwriter doing his thing in England with his manager/friend Ellie (Lily James). Though happy, they aren’t very successful in making Jack’s dreams a reality. During a fateful accident that occurs when the lights go out all over the world, Jack wakes up and remembers The Beatles (among other things). He figures, why not? He sets off playing all of their tunes. Since no one else knows the genius of The Beatles, he starts attracting notice for his talent; most notably in Ed Sheeran (who plays himself). Soon he is touring with Ed and his best mate Rocky (Joel Fry) and his new manager Debra (the always sharp Kate McKinnon).
Not only are great songs spread throughout this film (it’s The Beatles, for goodness sake!) but so is gentle humor and lovely life lessons. One would expect this from the screenwriter Richard Curtis (Love Actually, Bridget Jones’s Diary, loads of Mr. Bean and Blackadder stuff, and the most poignant of all Doctor Who episodes- Vincent and the Doctor). You might not expect this from director Danny Boyle. Though fabulously talented and always entertaining, this may be Boyle’s most accessible movie. You can take the kids to this PG- 13 film knowing that a dead baby will not be crawling across the ceiling ala Trainspotting.
Jack performs many classics by The Beatles during the movie. What is your personal favorite song by them? Mine is Eleanor Rigby. Tell me yours in the comments section.