Yesterday (2019)

Danny Boyle's latest movie "Yesterday" brings back memory of his earlier feel good masterpiece "Slumdog Millionaire" way back in 2008. But while Slumdog Millionaire integrated the stark reality of the poverty and hardship of the very poor in Mumbai to its fairy tale story, Yesterday, has only the dull England small town to provide the backdrop to an even more fantastical tale of a struggling musician who suddenly wakes up to an alternative world that does not have Coke, cigarettes, Harry Potter and ... the Beatles! What he does with this sudden found power of being the only person who remembers songs by the Beatles provides the basis for the story and all its comic opportunities.

Sadly, Yesterday does not come close to the level of Slumdog Millionaire, although it does succeed in being a thoroughly entertaining but, rather unremarkable movie. Still, you cannot go wrong with the timeless music of the Beatles which are amply used throughout the movie. Listening to these songs brought back memories for me and I dare say it even managed to tear me up a bit in some of the scenes. In between the songs, we have the story of a decent musician, struggling to decide which is more important in life, fame or love? In the process, we have our modern day superstar Ed Sheeran playing himself to provide some laughs and star presence. Taking on the lead role is an unknown, Himesh Patel who fits the character he plays as he is not particularly good looking, or have a fantastic singing voice. He gets to live his dream of striking it big as a musician but only to quickly learn it comes with huge sacrifices as well. Its fairy tale ending is familiar and predictable, which only serves to lend its overall pedestrian feel. Lily James is probably the only familiar face in the cast apart from Ed Sheeran, and she plays the long suffering love interest. I cannot say I felt much chemistry between her and Himesh, and she has been far more impressive in her other movies notably Cinderella and more recently, Mamma Mia Here We Go Again.

Yesterday is fun, undemanding, but ultimately probably easily forgettable. For a better movie that pays tribute to the music of the Beatles, I would recommend the musical Across the Universe (2007).