300 Words on "Yesterday"

It should be mentioned right from the top that I love the Beatles, so it was destined that I would probably like Yesterday. I think that they are the greatest and most revolutionary band that ever existed and it’s obvious that writer Richard Curtis believes the same thing as character after character extoll the virtues of the songs that down-on-his-luck musician Jack Malick (Himesh Patel) has supposedly written, repeatedly calling them the best songs they have ever heard. It’s the kind of dialogue that made this die-hard Beatles fanatic smile from ear to ear.

But Yesterday is unlikely to have any more effect than to leave an audience smiling which, in itself, is not a bad thing. But the unique premise feels as if there is room for untapped potential as Curtis leans heavily upon his preferred cheesey romantic comedy conventions which he has already used in his previous hits Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) and Love Actually (2003). I love cheese, but a can of spreadable whiz just doesn’t pair well with an already beautifully-prepared platter.

The film certainly looks fantastic though, director Danny Boyle creating a brightly-colored landscape against which Patel, Lily James, Kate McKinnon, and (surprisingly) Ed Sheeran all deliver solid performances. And the arrangements of the Beatles’ music is well done too; not only are Himesh Patel’s covers excellently done, but Daniel Pemberton’s score which subtlety weaves the Fab Four’s melodies in the most unexpected places had me humming as soon as I left the theatre.  

If you are in search of an entertaining diversion for a few hours, Yesterday is the film for you. If you are a Beatles fanatic, you’ll probably get a kick out of this fun alternate history. However, Yesterday is about as saccharine as “Love Me Do” but a whole lot less resonant.