There has always been the question of what would happen if anyone went back in time and changed one world event. It’s called “The Butterfly Effect” (and even the subject and title of a movie), and it has been a topic of discussion for many years. In “Yesterday,” this concept is explored in a different way.
Directed by “Slumdog Millionaire” helmer Danny Boyle, Himesh Patel plays Jack Malik, a struggling musician in the UK who seems to be only playing small gigs here and there with his manager and best friend, Ellie (Lily James). One night, a worldwide blackout causes Jack to get hit by a bus on his bike, and when he wakes up he realizes that he is the only person who remembers or even knows who The Beatles are. Jack starts playing their songs and claiming them as his own and starts becoming a worldwide phenomenon, but as his star rises, he starts to have a dilemma within his conscience about using someone else’s music.
This film was shot in the UK and really looks great, and the cast is good overall. Patel does a good job both acting and singing, and I really liked how his character had to improvise the lyrics here and there. My shout-out here has to go to “SNL” cast member Kate McKinnon, who plays his American agent who has a very honest and straight-business attitude. The way she played that role was VERY enjoyable.
“Yesterday” does a very good job dealing with the topic I discussed in the beginning of this review, and it’s not just The Beatles that the world forgets about, which makes it even cooler and funnier watching Jack try to Google things that he mentions and nobody else has ever heard of. If you are a music fan and a fan of the Fab Four themselves, this film is a must see at a matinee showing in a theater.