By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Danny Boyle
Starring: Ellise Chappell | Himesh Patel | Lily James | Sophia Di Martino
Country: japan, russia, united_kingdom, united_states
Year: 2019
Running time: 116
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8079248/reference
Thom says: “Oh dear, amidst Danny Boyle’s really great films including SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, TRAINSPOTTING, 127 HOURS, & SUNSHINE there was always the stench of mediocrity in THE BEACH, A LIFE LESS ORDINARY, & TRANCE, & while YESTERDAY isn’t as bad as the lesser Boyle films, it just doesn’t have a believable enough of a script to maintain enough of an interest. The plot revolves around down-on-his-luck musician Jack Malik (adorable Himesh Patel) who during a massive world-wide blackout is hit b y a bus, wakes up in hospital, in which he’s entered an alternative reality world where no one on the planet has ever heard a song by The Beatles. So he slowly starts producing, recording, and releasing the entire songbook of the Fab 4. What you expect to happen does happen and they might as well throw in a sweet romance. For me suspending disbelief in a horror or science fiction genre film is one thing, but changing history as in INGLORIOUS BASTERDS or ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD is just plain dumb. So here they wanted me to take at face value that The Beatles were the best pop band ever (& yes I can well believe most people would choose them as well) but I don’t believe that at all so I felt pushed into a plot that I found unctuous. For no particular reason Ed Sheeran (cute as a button) shows up in this parallel world as Ed Sheeran but this version of the superstar hasn’t heard of the Beatles either. There are some really cute bits around his production of the songs, and Bo yle always has a handle on up-to-date techniques. His staff want to change the name of HEY JUDE to HEY DUDE. Story way too predictable. 3 cats“