An enjoyable distraction, not to be analysed too deeply

Rating: 7/10 (28 September 2019)

I am a huge fan of both The Beatles and alternate history, so I expected this film to be right up my alley. Feeling in the mood for something that was light and not to be taken too seriously, I came away quite satisfied. I would describe the premise of the film as "interesting but cheerfully ridiculous". In terms of creating a world where The Beatles never gained any traction and are largely unknown, it mostly succeeds. In general terms, this world (quite plausibly) doesn't look vastly different to ours, until you start delving into its musical history. However, if you turn your attention to the more specific aspects, there are elements that do strain credibility. If history took such a divergent path that The Beatles, Harry Potter and Coca Cola were unknown, how are we to believe that Jack and Ellie still attended the same school, with Ellie still ending up as his manager? Not to mention that they still lived in the same town, with the same circle of acquaintences. And in this timeline, how did Jack catch Ellie's eye in the first place, seeing as he would not have performed Wonderwall (no Beatles = no Oasis) at the school concert? Of course, these are all essential plot devices, but still, they are ones that grate a little.
The reason for all the world's power supply being briefly knocked offline is never explained (fair enough, perhaps, seeing as this is not a science fiction film). For the record, a massive coronal mass ejection of the sun could conceivably have this effect. Nor is it explained how Jack's accident results in him languishing in an alternate timeline. I do wonder what the psychological effect on someone who (hypothetically) ended up in this situation might be, and perhaps there was scope for exploring this further. To its credit, the film didn't attempt a truly absurd scenario where Jack attempts to find his way back to his original timeline!
In summary, this film is no masterpiece, however it is to be commended for taking what could have otherwise been a fairly generic love story, and applying a number of quirky twists. The gentle moral that happiness is something to be found on your own terms, rather than by what societal pressure dictates, is also welcome. This film could be just the ticket if you are after a couple of hours of escapism, but would prefer not to have to concentrate too deeply (indeed, it's probably best if you don't!).