Yesterday

(M) ★★★½

Director: Danny Boyle.

Cast: Himesh Patel, Lily James, Kate McKinnon, Ed Sheeran, Joel Fry, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal.

"Number nine! Number nine! Number nine!"

What would a world without The Beatles really look like?

If we're being honest it wouldn't look anything like the one presented by Richard Curtis' script in Danny Boyle's new film Yesterday. In reality, it's too difficult of a concept to wrap your head around. The unravelling of the chaos theory involved in a Beatle flapping (or not flapping) its wing is unfathomable. So Yesterday boils it down to the high concept's simplest version.

And this is both the blessing and the curse of the film. Yes, the idea is fascinating and drives the film sufficiently, and yes, it has some marvellous and clever moments, most frequently when it focuses on the inherent humour hidden in its one-line synopsis and the music that comes with it. But it also feels surprisingly by-the-numbers, and somewhat bogged down by a frustrating romantic subplot that is less interesting than the Fab Four-related shenanigans happening in the rest of the film.

Yesterday is the story of down-on-his-luck musician Jack Malik (Patel), who awakens after a serious accident to find he is apparently the only person in the world who remembers The Beatles. Seizing an opportunity, Jack passes off John, Paul, George and Ringo's music as his own, and quickly finds himself trying to surf an out-of-control fame tsunami.

The problem with many high concept films is that the pivotal "what if" idea can wear off quickly, and we're left with nothing else. Yesterday's "what if only one guy remembered The Beatles?" runs through a seeming checklist of possibilities that are admittedly enjoyable but predictable. So it's to the film's great credit that it actually pulls off some beautiful surprises in the final act that help make the journey worthwhile and hold your interest. The power of music, especially The Beatles' music, is also a central point that keeps the film aloft.

The predictability is particularly frustrating in the romance between Jack and his long-time friend/manager Ellie (James), and unfortunately this part of the film has no such beautiful surprises to alleviate the familiarity or the contrivances. It's certainly no fault of Malik and James, who have believable chemistry (James is particularly good). The issue lies in the script from Richard "Love, Actually" Curtis, which stretches the will-they-won't-they tensions beyond breaking point.

It's weird for such an original idea to feel so run-of-the-mill in places. This comes from the fact that stripped of its high concept, Yesterday is a mash-up of two common plots - the "meteoric musical rise to fame" plot and the "living a lie" plot.

Yet the film is still entertaining, and frequently funny. The high concept is such a driving force that it propels things through the flattest spots, as does the music and some lively performances, particularly from McKinnon, James, and Fry. Patel is solid in the lead, and really shines in the musical moments. He's certainly well suited to the role, and his character is nicely flawed which also helps keep things interesting.

At its best, Yesterday flies free as a bird but at its worst it's troubles don't seem so far away.

Wait, that's not quite right. Let me try again.

At its best, Yesterday soars in the sky with diamonds, but its predictability is about as subtle as Maxwell's silver hammer.


Wait, ah... forget it.