Yesterday
18/07/19 Filed in: Cinema
Based on the trailer I wasn't in a rush to see this film, but my wife enthused about it, so off we went. I must admit to being pleasantly surprised. It's basically a fantasy rom-com that follows on the recent success of films featuring pop artists of the past. In this case it's the Beatles. But the approach is somewhat different. Here the Beatles do not exist, along with quite a few other hallmarks of the 20th century. To set up this unlikely scenario there is a metaphysical event whereby everywhere on Earth is plunged into darkness for a short while, after which history has been selectively changed. Once you suspend disbelief the result is a fun film.
But let's first go back a bit. Jack Malik is an aspiring and actually quite accomplished singer-songwriter who is constantly encouraged by Ellie, a school friend who was once bowled over by his performance at a school concert. While Ellie, a schoolteacher by day, is constantly optimistic for Jack, his lack of success is gradually eating away at his confidence. Based in Suffolk, when Ellie secures a spot at the Latitude Festival Jack is over the moon. But the reality is somewhat different as he plays to a handful of people in the Suffolk Tent. It's the final straw and he tells Ellie that it's all over as far as his music is concerned.
But then we have the event, during which Jack is involved in an accident on his bike, waking afterwards in hospital. It gradually dawns on him that he seems to be the only person in the world who knows about the Beatles. At first he thinks it's all a big wind up, his friends being known for their teasing. But when he Googles the Beatles he finds only beetles! He thus realises that he has the whole Beatles songbook at his disposal. But as even his Beatles LPs no longer exist, he is faced with trying to remember all the lyrics. A keen young music producer, Gavin, hears Jack performing a Beatles song in a pub and this leads to a demo recording at Gavin's home recording studio. It's next to a main line railway, so recordings have to be paused while trains pass, but what the heck.
Jack hands out free copies of the demo CD at his day job in a warehouse shop and this leads to an appearance on Ipswich TV. It's all a bit embarrassing, with the presenter not doing Jack any favours, but as a result he comes to the notice of none other than Ed Sheeran, played by himself, who invites him to be his opening act in Moscow.
Because Ellie can't miss her school commitments, Jack's friend Rocky travels with him, a character if there ever was one. In Moscow Jack's rendition of Back in the USSR makes him instantly famous and completely amazes Ed Sheeran, especially since Jack tells him that he wrote on the flight to Moscow. But there is a problem, somebody in the crowd was waving a toy yellow submarine. Had Jack been found out. But this scare passes and Jack goes from strength to strength, becoming more and more distant from Ellie, who deep down he loves, and who loves him. During a trip to Liverpool to research some of the song lyrics he is surprised by Ellie. After a fun day, and a bit of an awkward evening, the next day she asks him to choose between her and his career. Also while in Liverpool, we see a woman following Jack. Does she also know the truth?
So does Jack pursue super stardom? It transpires that the man holding the yellow submarine, and the woman following him in Liverpool, do indeed know the truth. So what are the implications for Jack? And will he be able to live without Ellie. All these questions are answered following an intriguing meeting between Jack and a man who we all know but would not expect to see, this alternative history having brought with it another unexpected surprise.
This film is of course complete fantasy, but it is very amusing while giving us the joys of the Beatles songbook. Himesh Patel is very well cast as Jack while Ellie is played very sweetly by Lily James as an attractive curly haired brunette. Jack's friend Rocky is constantly telling him that he cannot understand why he has not got it together with Ellie, and I think he has a point!
Jack hands out free copies of the demo CD at his day job in a warehouse shop and this leads to an appearance on Ipswich TV. It's all a bit embarrassing, with the presenter not doing Jack any favours, but as a result he comes to the notice of none other than Ed Sheeran, played by himself, who invites him to be his opening act in Moscow.
Because Ellie can't miss her school commitments, Jack's friend Rocky travels with him, a character if there ever was one. In Moscow Jack's rendition of Back in the USSR makes him instantly famous and completely amazes Ed Sheeran, especially since Jack tells him that he wrote on the flight to Moscow. But there is a problem, somebody in the crowd was waving a toy yellow submarine. Had Jack been found out. But this scare passes and Jack goes from strength to strength, becoming more and more distant from Ellie, who deep down he loves, and who loves him. During a trip to Liverpool to research some of the song lyrics he is surprised by Ellie. After a fun day, and a bit of an awkward evening, the next day she asks him to choose between her and his career. Also while in Liverpool, we see a woman following Jack. Does she also know the truth?
So does Jack pursue super stardom? It transpires that the man holding the yellow submarine, and the woman following him in Liverpool, do indeed know the truth. So what are the implications for Jack? And will he be able to live without Ellie. All these questions are answered following an intriguing meeting between Jack and a man who we all know but would not expect to see, this alternative history having brought with it another unexpected surprise.
This film is of course complete fantasy, but it is very amusing while giving us the joys of the Beatles songbook. Himesh Patel is very well cast as Jack while Ellie is played very sweetly by Lily James as an attractive curly haired brunette. Jack's friend Rocky is constantly telling him that he cannot understand why he has not got it together with Ellie, and I think he has a point!