A fun, sweet-natured film that truly does bring to light how much impact The Beatles have left on the world

Rating: 7/10 (27 June 2019)

Yesterday is a fantasy comedy written by Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually). Directed by Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, Trainspotting), it is a lighthearted romp brought to life by some great music and acting performances.
Jack Malik (Himesh Patel) is a struggling musician from a small town in England whose dreams of making it big are beginning to fade. One night, the entire world experiences a twelve second blackout and during this time Jack is struck by a bus and is later hospitalised. Upon being discharged, Jack is astonished to discover that he is now the only person on Earth who remembers The Beatles and their music. Using this to his advantage, Jack starts passing off Beatles songs as his own to assist him in becoming the famous rockstar he always wanted to be.
Even though it doesn't quite achieve the satirical edge it hopes for, Yesterday is still a fun, sweet-natured film that truly does bring to light how much impact The Beatles have left on the world, whether we realise it or not. The film has a distinctly British flavour and it's unlikely it will appeal to international audiences, where some of the more subtle eccentricities may go right over their heads. The overall premise is similar to the 2006 TV series "Life On Mars", where the main character is hit by a vehicle and transported to an alternate timeline, although this film is considerably more comedic in tone. Danny Boyle seems like an odd choice of director for a film like this, but he does a pretty good job carrying this unorthodox subject matter the whole way through. All of The Beatles songs featured are used perfectly during the film's big musical moments, and are expertly performed by newcomer Himesh Patel in the lead role. Surprisingly, a supporting appearance from Ed Sheeran of all people provided some of the film's funniest moments, as he proves to have solid comic timing. While not a must-see on the big screen, this film would certainly be worth a watch upon home release.
I rate it 7/10