Great Universe Slip Story

Rating: 9/10 (3 July 2019)

Yesterday: A struggling singer/songwriter Jack (Himesh Patel) is transported into a parallel universe where The Beatles don't exist. The transport McGuffin is well handled: a global power outage during which the cycling Jack is struck by a bus. Waking up in hospital he is comforted by his roadie/manager/agent Ellie (Lily James), there is unrequited love between them which is central to the film's narrative. Jack first realises something is odd when he discovers that none of his friends recognise the song Yesterday. This scene is beautifully shot at a riverside location with a setting sun capturing the mood of the song. Going online he finds no mention of The Beatles, this universe has a good side as well though: there is also no Oasis (it also lacks a few other things).
So jack sets out to rewrite the songs of The Beatles, not always getting the order of words just right. Indeed Ed Sheeran (himself) persuades Jack to rename Hey Jude as Hey Dude. Jack gets to open for Sheeran on a World Tour and his road to success seems assured when Sheeran's manager Debra (Kate McKinnon) agrees to represent him. McKinnon is crazed and quirky in the role but very convincing. The move from busking and playing in bars to incipient Superstar isn't easy for Jack, director Danny Boyle effectively uses devices such as having an awestruck Jack surrounded by multimedia images of his growing fame and shows him dancing through the Mersey Tunnel as he researches songs. The capstone is perhaps when Sheeran describes himself as Salieri to Jack's Mozart.
A witty, touching, enjoyable film of potential greatness thrust upon an ordinary person who is riven by self-doubt. Great cameo by Robert Carlyle as an elderly John Lennon. Wonderfully delivered by director Danny boyle from a screenplay by Richard Curtis. 8.5/10.