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.

Into the Woods (2014)

All your favourite classic fairy tales collide in this feature film adaptation of the Broadway musical with songs by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine.

The intertwining of the various plot lines and characters is quite intricate, and I won’t go into great detail of them all here, but you are definitely in for a treat.

Or that would be true if you were just watching the show on Broadway. But somehow, this film version doesn’t quite measure up, despite an all-star cast, and usually brilliant director.

The show itself is very good, with clever dialogue and staging, and of course (as with any occasion when Sondheim puts pencil to manuscript paper) fantastically creative music that pushes boundaries and lyrics that boggle the mind with their incredible rhyming schemes.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the film version. This feels like a mostly unnecessary addition to the ever-growing catalogue of Broadway show to film adaptations, and very few of the cast deliver their best in my opinion. (Please feel free to disagree with me in the comments, or whatever; I always appreciate the opportunity to discuss films and put my position to anyone who will listen, even if we may not see eye to eye on everything).

James Corden and Emily Blunt (playing a baker and his wife) - both of whom have proved themselves before in musical roles - fail to steal the show in the way these characters should. Rather, their bickering and arguing just becomes more and more tiresome as the film goes on, and their performances more and more grating.

Even those oft-lauded royalty of film, Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp, are less impressive than their previous films might lead one to believe.

The film is quite dark throughout (I mean dark as in low-light, in a cinematic sense), which while it suits the underlying themes of the show overall, feels a bit much after two hours of near darkness.

The only saving grace of this film version in my view is the music, which is of course identical to the music of the Broadway show.

If you get the opportunity to see this film, I wouldn’t necessarily suggest you take it. If you get the opportunity to see it performed on stage, make every possible effort to take it; you will enjoy yourself so much more.

5 out of 10.

Begin Again (2013)

Begin Again tells the story of newly-out-of-work record producer Dan (Mark Ruffalo) and sometime-songwriter Gretta (Keira Knightley) and their endeavours to record and release an album in the outdoors of New York City, after the record company Dan co-founded refuses to sign her.

In fact, the city of New York actually functions as a character of sorts in the film. We are taken on a journey through the many sights and sounds of the city, in a film that must be described as a 'love letter' to the city itself.

Dan's quasi-relationship with his ex-wife (Catherine Keener) and daughter Violet (Hailee Steinfeld) supports the film also, as a subplot that provides further background into Dan's character, portrayed masterfully by Mark Ruffalo (then again, is there any film in which Mark Ruffalo hasn't portrayed his character masterfully? If there is, I'd be surprised)

Gretta has her own backstory/subplot as well, of course. She has recently broken up with her boyfriend, singer Dave (Adam Levine of Maroon 5 fame), and her previous hurts provide great fodder for her songwriting. She lives with long-time friend Steve (James Corden), who also helps out Dan and Gretta with the album, along with a few other colourful characters sourced from Dan's long list of contacts in the music industry.

This film is a wonderfully pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. Yes, it has its ups and downs, but then again, so does life. This film does an adequate job of portraying one particular slice of life for the characters.

Standout performances come from Mark Ruffalo (as previously stated), Hailee Steinfeld and acting-newcomer Adam Levine, who does a pretty decent job of crossing over to film.

The film has a lot of heart, and a lot of great music (as long as it's to one's taste, I guess!)


7 out of 10.