A Joy to Watch

Rating: 8/10 (28 June 2019)

With all of the music-based biopics being released lately, I found myself much more excited for a film like Danny Boyle's directorial effort in Yesterday. There are so many films that take the formula of a band rising and falling and run with that as their premise. Although this isn't a biopic at all, it really is a celebration of the music, written and performed by The Beatles. It may feel a little uneven at times and it actually feels a little mean-spirited at times, but I believe it will win over many viewers. Here's why I believe Yesterday is worth your time at the cinema.
Following a young musician in Jack Malik (Himesh Patel), as crazy circumstances have him being the only one on Earth who remembers The Beatles every existing, Yesterday is a film that explores how he re-writes their music to become famous. Yes, this film asks you to fall in love with a character who has stolen famous music (but not really?), which does make for a bit of a frustrating watch. With that said, it really does dive into those aspects and wins you over by the time the credits roll.
Being the first time I have ever watched a performance from Himesh Patel, he has definitely proven that he can carry a film, because his devotion to this character, lept off the screen to me. Lily James also stars in the film as his best first, original manager, and possible lover. Honestly, I find her to be incredibly talented and she always elevates a film in my opinion, so for that alone, I may be a little biased when saying I loved a lot about this movie when watching it.
Danny Boyle has helmed this film, which felt like a departure for him when looking at the marketing, but really does have his touch all over it. From dutch angles to beautifully composed shots, it was clearly a Danny Boyle movie from start to finish, which felt very refreshing. Where I think this film lacked the most was in the script itself. Although I don't have any major problems with the movie, there are many scenes that have comedy, that just didn't work for me. In particular, there are a couple of dramatic scenes that are broken up and played off as a joke, which had me scratching my head. Aside from that, this is a very enjoyable film, through and through.
In the end, Yesterday meshes the style of Danny Boyle's direction with the great music that The Beatles have given the world, along with great performances by Himesh Patel, Lily James, and even the little screentime that Ed Sheeran has. With solid pacing, an enjoyably quirky story (albeit sort of dumb in retrospect), and a character that wins you over as the movie progresses, Yesterday was just a great time at the movies in my opinion. I absolutely recommend checking it out.