After months of anticipation, having seen Yesterday’s trailer dozens of times, here we are opening day for my number two most anticipated movie of the summer (next month’s Stuber is my number one pick).
By suburban standards, our 10am showing was crowded, with twenty or so viewers joining us. Yesterday stars Himesh Patel, as Jack Malik a so so songwriter, who’s fame peaked in 2004 at the age of fourteen at his school’s talent show. Kinda sad right? A constant at his side has been Lily James, as Ellie his BFF and manager of his floundering music career. Ellie is a source of constant encouragement, urging him to keep plugging along, arguing that success will come, but at the conclusion of a barely attended performance, Jack announces he is throwing in the towel, and giving up his dream of a music career.
While biking home from his failed performance, a worldwide power failure strikes. Later reported as a “solar flare” the entire world losses power for twelve seconds. Unfortunately for Jack, the power failure coincided with a bus hitting the distracted Jack sending him flying into the air and into unconsciousness.
After a short stint in the hospital Jack is gifted a guitar, a replacement of the guitar shattered by the bus. Persuaded to sing a song, Jack sings “Yesterday” and Ellie and friends are blown away and ask when did he write the song. He replies, he didn’t write it, the Beatles wrote it. Who? The Beatles, John Paul, George and Ringo. They haven’t a clue who he is talking about, stating they didn’t know obscure bands like Jack, who is in the music biz.
After more ribbing, about the unknown Beatles, Jack does what we all do when we have a question, he Google’s “The Beatles” and all the results bring up “beetle” as in the bug. He searches again and again, and only comes up with bugs. He searches his album collection, and all The Beatles albums are missing. Now he is panicked, he Google’s the Rolling Stones, yep they are there. Childish Gambino? Again, Google affirms he is living and performing. Oasis? Nope, the only oasis Google is recognizing is a desert oasis. He later finds out Pepsi rules, because there is no such thing as Coke.
Yearning for applause, and a fan letter from someone other than his mother, Jack starts performing Beatles songs. He figures, no one else on earth remembers The Beatles, and their songs are proven winners.
While performing Beatles hits, Jack begins to have a small following, but it isn’t until he begins distributing a free CD to anyone who would accept it, does Jack’s path to stardom begin.
Ed Sheeran, who plays himself quite well, soon discovers Jack. Funny scene where Ed tracks down Jack living with his family, and offers him his first professional job opening for him. Soon the mentor Ed Sheeran, becomes a side note to Jack’s rising stardom in music. Very funny scene where Ed suggests changing the lyrics to Hey Jude, to Hey Dude.
Jack soon becomes disillusioned with the music business, the lie of taking credit for The Beatles music weighing heavy on him. Fearful his lies will surface; Jack begins to flounder from the pressure of trying to remember lyrics to dozens of Beatles songs. He misses Ellie, no longer his manager, as Jack has moved up to a high-powered manager played by Kate McKinnon. Ellie wants more from Jack, though they have been best friends for half their lives, Ellie loves Jack and wants to move from friend to lover. Jack can’t see past Ellie as a sister figure and pushes Ellie away.
If you are a Beatles fan, you will love this movie. If you are an Ed Sheeran fan, you really will worship this movie. If you are a lover of romance films (such as the hubby) you will adore this movie. Love movies about an underdog? Yesterday has you covered. Lover of twists and turns in movies, absolutely here. Lover of unique endings, have it in spades.
I just totally enjoyed this movie, never looked at my phone once to see how much time was left before the credits.
Yesterday, not quite an A but happy to report a solid B+. Definitely see this at the theatre, and don’t worry about paying full price if a matinee is not your thing. Yesterday is full ticket price worthy, and you know that’s a lot coming from me. As Jack finally realizes, “All You Need is Love” Take a friend and see this movie!
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