Yesterday

YESTERDAY (15)

D: Danny Boyle

Universal/Working Title/Decibel (Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Bernie Bellew, Matthew James Wilkinson, Richard Curtis & Danny Boyle)

UK 2019

116 mins

Comedy/Romance/Fantasy

W: Richard Curtis [based on an original screenplay by Jack Barth & Mackenzie Crook]

DP: Christopher Ross

Ed: Jon Harris

Mus: Daniel Pemberton

Himesh Patel (Jack Malik), Lily James (Ellie Appleton), Kate McKinnon (Debra Hammer), Joel Fry (Rocky), Ed Sheeran (himself)

An It's A Wonderful Life-style comedy fantasia in which a struggling British musician survives a bicycle accident to wake up in an alternative present day, where he is seemingly the only person who remembers the music of The Beatles. 

He becomes a global musical sensation performing their songs, though he finds the simpler things in life are far more rewarding than fame and fortune alone.

A thoroughly enjoyable comedy with some sweet romance interludes and a soundtrack full of Beatles songs with a contemporary twist.  It's also much funnier than expected, with many jokes untouched by the promotional trailers, which can often ruin comedies by showing far too much.

Ed Sheeran cameos as himself, and though his acting could do with quite a bit of finesse, it's quite amusing to see him send himself up, though the film could certainly have done without one of his songs towards the end of the movie (it is about the music of The Beatles after all).

Himesh Patel delivers a great breakthrough performance, bringing a humility to a character that could easily have been played as unsympathetic. Lily James is also great as the love interest for the romance plot that could have felt a lot more tacked on than it actually does.

I'd definitely recommend watching Yesterday. Today if possible, tomorrow if not.

8/10