An enjpoyable what-if

Rating: 7/10 (30 September 2019)

Jack Malik (Himesh Patel) is a young, struggling singer/songwriter living in Lowestoft, England. Just as he is ready to give up on his musical aspirations, a world freak accident occurs which eliminates the entire history of the music of The Beatles; that is for everyone except Jack, apparently. In response, he uses his memory to "write" The Beatles' hits, performs them, and becomes a star.
The film begins with some terrible music gigs that are funny in their truthful depiction of star-wannabe purgatory. It then morphs into a fascinating "what if" scenario that could also be a dystopia to many.
The fantasy is the best part of the story which is sadly weakened by an unrequited romance between Jack and his childhood friend and music manager, Ellie Appleton (Lily James). Occasional dollops of schlock and schmaltz in this area lower the overall quality of the film.
But "Yesterday" has more pluses than minuses. Patel has a sweet, innocent likeability overall and James is fine as the leading lady. A couple of supporting performances add to the comedy element. As Jack's right-hand man Rocky, Joel Fry has some great moments as an oaf often out of place. And Kate McKinnon is bang-on as a Hollywood showbiz shark, Debra Hammer. In one scene, she is making her nastiest comments while doing perfect poses in yoga and Pilates while wearing (presumably) designer yoga clothing. This scene seems to be a not-so-subtle jab against a certain North American archetype. Anyone who has ever had the misfortune of encountering this archetype would have a good snicker at this scene. The jabs against shallow, Hollywood, showbiz types are further extended into a surreal boardroom scene.
Overall, "Yesterday" has a theme of "what price, fame". This is best depicted in a sublime scene that takes place in an isolated seaside home in the film's second half. (No spoilers here!) This scene, which could easily jerk tears, plus others carry the film's message quite sweetly and enjoyably.