Yesterday (2019)

A brand new film from the brilliant minds of screenwriter Richard Curtis and director Danny Boyle, this film takes a relatively simple premise and turns it into an amazing film.

Young singer/songwriter Jack Malik (Himesh Patel), who also works part-time in a warehouse-style supermarket, is struggling to make a name for himself as an artist. Supported since the beginning of his 'career' by his manager Ellie Appleton (Lily James), the two of them go from one low-paying, low-attended gig to another, before Jack decides that it just isn't working for him.

No sooner has he given up on his music career altogether than he gets just the break he has been waiting years for.

At the same moment that the power goes off simultaneously all over the world, Jack is knocked off his bike by a bus, and comes to the next day in hospital, missing his two front teeth.

Jack Malik (Himesh Patel) and Ellie Appleton (Lily James).

After he recovers enough to leave the hospital, he meets with his closest friends, including Ellie, who presents him with a brand-new guitar, since his previous instrument was destroyed in the accident. When his friends ask him to play something, he comments that a beautiful guitar needs a beautiful song, and plays the Beatles' classic song, Yesterday.

His friends are blown away by this song, and ask him when he wrote it. He tells them it was written by Paul McCartney, and they stare back at him blankly. He mentions The Beatles, and they have no idea what he's talking about.

He rushes home, and after a prolonged Google search, he discovers that - after the worldwide power cut - he is now in a world in which The Beatles have never existed, despite the fact he can remember all of their songs.

Jack finds himself in a serious ethical dilemma, but decides that since The Beatles never existed in this world, he isn't hurting anybody by taking the credit for their entire back-catalogue of music. Of course, it isn't long before 'his' music has drawn the interest of the music world; after all, The Beatles were amazing, and their songs not only spoke to a generation of fans, but completely changed the world of popular music forever - for the better.

Ed Sheeran quickly becomes one of Jack's biggest fans.

When fellow singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran asks Jack to be his support act on his European tour, Jack not only gains a whole new world of fans, he attracts the attention of Ed's manager, Debra Hammer (Kate McKinnon), who wants to turn him into the next big thing.

I'll leave the plot description there, I don't want to spoil the many surprises this film has any more than I already have.

Richard Curtis's screenplay is absolutely brilliant on every level. His appreciation and respect for the work and influence of The Beatles is clear, and he has constructed a magnificent plot filled with fascinating, three-dimensional characters. There are many clever moments throughout the film, all of them developing organically from the relatively simple premise of "What if The Beatles never existed?"

If you have seen any other film written by Richard Curtis before, you will know that he has an uncanny ability to balance hilarious comedy with heartbreaking drama, and this film is no exception. His skill for writing realistic, authentic dialogue is once again on display here, and it is such a joy to behold.

Most of the film's music is of course Beatles songs, all of them performed by Patel on either the guitar or the piano (and it really is him playing them, not someone else's hands!), but there are also a few moments throughout the film where there is original music underscoring the action. All of the original music is composed by Daniel Pemberton, and it fits with the rest of the film so perfectly that it feels like a natural part of the film itself. At no point does it draw unnecessary attention to itself, but it serves the on-screen action as any good film score does.

Jack Malik (Himesh Patel) appearing on The Late Late Show with James
Corden.

The performances of the cast - especially Patel and James - are fantastic, and everything is played for absolute realism and truth; the entire cast maintain the film's premise unwaveringly throughout. Ed Sheeran - who appears as himself, though perhaps a slightly fictionalised version of himself - does very well with his performance, too; it would be an absolute misnomer to refer to his appearance as a cameo, as he is a significant member of the cast.

I particularly enjoyed the scenes with Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal, who play Jack's parents, supportive at every moment. These two - having worked together many times before - have such a great on-screen chemistry together, and impeccable comic timing.

Director Danny Boyle has made an absolutely wonderful film here, one that I am certain audiences all over the world will enjoy. If you have ever been a fan of The Beatles, you absolutely must see this film. If you - for some unknown reason - are not familiar with The Beatles, you absolutely must see this film, and then listen to as many Beatles songs as you can.

If money were no object, I would pay to see this on the big screen again and again; this film is a definite contender for my favourite film of the year.

10 out of 10.