Imagine a world where nobody remembers The Beatles. What a horrible place to live, am I right?! That is the premise in the wildly original and fantastically fun film, Yesterday, out now on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital download. The film, which is really a rom-com at heart, comes from Oscar winning director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) and Love, Actually writer-director Richard Curtis.
Nobody recalls The Beatles in this world, except for Jack Malik (Himesh Patel, who sings and acts his way into our hearts). Let’s back up … a bit.
Malik is a singer-songwriter, who has been doing everything he can to try to make it in the music business. His manager/BFF Ellie Appleton (Lily James) could not believe in him more, his parents, Sheila Malik (Meera Syal) and Jed Malik (Sanjeev Bhaskar) tolerate it and slightly encourage his musical aspirations—but deep down they are starting to wonder when their son might give it up and pursue something more “stable.” After a global electric surge knocks out power across the planet, Jack is hit by a bus while riding his bike (after a dismal festival experience for him professionally). When he awakes in the hospital, everything seems fine—except for him missing some front teeth and a few off hand remarks about The Beatles that are met with a, “who?”
It is when his pal Ellie (who clearly wants more from this relationship) gifts him an acoustic guitar and he performs Yesterday for her and his pals that their jaw-dropping reaction to his performance starts to eat at him a wee bit. He thinks they’re messing with him and won’t have it, storming off. But when he gets home and Googles The Beatles and nothing but the insect appears, his eyes start to open a bit wider. When he Googles “John, Paul, George and Ringo” and Pope John Paul pops up, Jack is coming to a realization. The world has no idea who the Fab Four are… that puts our hero in a tough spot. After all, their music is too extraordinary and important to not be heard by the billions who call Earth home. But then again, in a way—that is stealing, and a fascinating ethical dilemma commences that will play out over the course of Curtis and Boyle’s lovable flick.
How Jack even records the world’s greatest band (in my opinion, at least!) is hilariously put together by filmmakers. After all, no matter how well you know a group’s songs, do you think you could recreate all of them musically and most importantly, lyrically?! Then once he gets a nice set of them down on paper, he faces the same struggle every other musician has (one he keenly knows too well) … how do you get people to listen to them? Lucky for him, a few of his songs start to go viral and that garners the attention of a certain lad … none other than Ed Sheeran.
The are countless moments to treasure in Yesterday, so when it comes to plot descriptors, that is all this review will produce. How so many things about this issue is handled is done in a manner that is one, shows a collective adoration for all things Beatles, and two—laced with a reality that is a mix of fantasy and haunting truth about life and the morals we cling to.
Patel is a find. This film should firmly place him on the A-list and if it doesn’t, well I don’t know what will. He has a difficult needle to thread and he does so with such charming panache, it’s hard not to fall and cheer for this guy.
James and Patel have a stunning cinematic chemistry that will have you emotionally invested in the will they or won’t they play that is unfurling in front of our eyes…all while this out of nowhere singer becomes the biggest musical sensation in the world. James is her always awesome self and captures the essence of that character who has given so much of their life to a soul that doesn’t seem to have a clue how you feel.
Curtis’ script is well thought out and laid out in a manner that befits the subject matter and the legend that is the Fab Four. His trademark romantic comedy touches are strewn throughout but feel so unbelievably fresh in this context because of the bigger picture background of a world that exists w/o the Beatles.
Boyle has long been one of my favorite helmers, but he has been hit and miss since his seismic announcement that was Slumdog. Trance was clearly a miss, but 120 Hours was a hit. Yesterday firmly places him back on the hit list, thanks to his melodic movie touch that lets his actors do their thing, he has produced not only a love letter to The Beatles, but to music itself.
When it comes to bonus features, filmmakers clearly had a ball giving viewers insight into the making of the movie, while the entire “Beatles songbook” element is richly utilized and hearing from those like Patel and James about their reverence for it only enhances the joy they brought to tackling their roles.
First of all, there’s an alternative opening sequence that is a joy to check out, especially after witnessing the entire movie and going back to try the other way Curtis and Boyle sought to open their film. After that, dive into the Alternative Ending as well—for the same reasons! There’s also a couple of musical numbers that didn’t make the cut, including one (Something—as performed on the James Corden show) that appeared in the Yesterday trailer and I was thoroughly disappointed when it wasn’t in the theatrical version.
Besides The Beatles angle, the names above the film’s moniker on the poster is what first got me interested in Yesterday. It’s hardly a surprise then that I devoured the featurette A Talented Duo. The collaboration between Curtis and Boyle is showcased in the most informative and entertaining of manners. It seems like, after watching this bonus feature, that the pairing of these two was a match made in heaven and we wonder why it took so long!
Patel is tasked with a whole lot in Yesterday, long past acting in the lead part. He has to sing all of these songs that could not be more iconic and play guitar and piano alongside them as well. How they found Patel and why he was perfect for the part is also explored in this delightful featurette. We get to follow the actor/singer into the studio and feel a part of his recording the performances live. Speaking of Patel singing live …
Live at Abbey Road Studios finds Patel’s pitch perfect performances at the iconic locale of Yesterday, I Want to Hold Your Hand and most impressively, Let It Be.
Part of what makes Yesterday so compelling is that it comes from the guy who gave us Four Weddings and a Funeral and Love Actually. As such, there is a precious romantic heartbeat to it from James and Patel. Soul Mates is a wonderful look at the cinematic relationship between Jack and Ellie throughout the film.
For pure laughs, nobody will ever get more than SNL breakout Kate McKinnon. She’s the focus of the featurette Agent of Comedy: Kate McKinnon. She’s the character you love to hate and it’s a joy to witness a featurette that delves deeper into what she brings to Yesterday.
One of the most stunning aspects of the film is the way that musician Sheeran can simultaneously lampoon himself and turn in a performance as a movie version of himself that is utterly charming, believable and imperative to the overall plot of the film. Sheeran: From Stadium to Screen is a great look at the pop singer’s contribution to the movie.
Speaking of Sheeran, A Conversation with Richard & Ed is a terrific talk between the screenplay writer and the hitmaker about the making of Yesterday.
For a truly complete look at the making of the movie, don’t look to any of these bonus features, even though they are delightful, turn on that audio commentary track and catch Boyle and Curtis wax poetic about the making of the movie, breaking down specific scenes, their thoughts on songs and performances and overall, just the most touching and terrific insight into the making of a rom-com musical that takes us through the Magical Mystery Tour of the greatness that is the music of The Beatles.
Film Grade: A
Bonus Features: A