Yesterday Review

Yesterday


Release Date: 27th June 2019 - Australia


Production Companies
Decibel Films

Dentsu (presented in association with)

Etalon Film

Perfect World Pictures (in association with)
Working Title Films

Distribution
Universal Pictures Australia


Genre: Comedy

Rating: M

Runtime: 116 minutes


Budget: $26,000,000

Box Office Gross: $154,608,507 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary

Jack Malik is a struggling songwriter and musician who gets hit by a bus in a massive blackout. He wakes up in a world that he soon finds

that it has no memory or

existence of the Beatles.

Jack begins to play their

music in public and takes

credit for them. He gains

popularity and becomes

instantly famous. However, as Jack has become a huge sensation, he soon finds that he is losing the only woman who has ever believed in him in his whole life.

Cast
Himesh Patel - Jack Malik
Lily James - Ellie Appleton
Sophia Di Martino - Carol
Ellise Chappell - Lucy
Meera Syal - Shelia Malik
Harry Michell - Nick
Vincent Franklin - Brian
Joel Fry - Rocky
Michael Kiwanuka - Himself
Karma Sood - Young Jack
Gus Brown - Marcus the Dentist
Sanjeev Bhaskar - Jed Malik
Karl Theobald - Terry
Alexander Arnold - Gavin
Ed Sheeran - Himself
Maryana Spivak - Alexa (Russian Stage

Manager)
Justin Edwards - Leo (Russian Stranger)
Kate McKinnon - Debra Hammer
Javon Prince - Hans (Music Producer)
Camilla Rutherford - Hilary
Sarah Lancashire - Liz (Liverpool Stranger)
Jaimie Kollner - Young Ellie
Ana de Armas - Roxanne
James Corden - Himself (Cameo)
Elizabeth Berrington - Hazel

Robert Carlyle - John Lennon (Uncredited)

Crew
Producer/Director - Danny Boyle
Story/Screenplay/Producer - Richard Curtis
Story - Jack Barth
Executive Producers - Nick Angel,
Lee Brazier and Liza Chasin
Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Bernard Bellew
Producers - Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner
and Matthew James Wilkinson
Production Designer - Patrick Rolfe

Supervising Art Director - James Wakefield

Set Decorator - Catherine Cosgrove
Costume Designer - Liza Bracey

Makeup and Hair Designer - Ivana Primorac

Prosthetics Designer - Mark Coulier
Director of Photography - Christopher Ross

Stunt Coordinator: U.K. - Julian Spencer
Stunt Coordinator: L.A. - Steven John Brown

Special Effects Supervisor - Neal Champion
Editor - Jon Harris

Supervising Sound Designer - Glenn Freemantle

Sound Design Editor - Ben Barker

Sound Design Editor/Re-Recording

Mixer - Niv Adiri

Production Sound Mixer - Simon Hayes

Re-Recording Mixer - Brendan Nicholson

Foley Artists - Peter Burgis

and Zoe Freed

Foley Mixers - Glen Gathard and

Jemma Riley-Yolch

Score/Music Producer - Daniel Pemberton

Review

You're probably wondering why a movie like YESTERDAY has a bizarre concept of a world where The Beatles do not exist, with only one person who remembers their music. Hypothetically speaking, the idea seems absurd for a movie that shares the same title as the song written and performed by a famous band. Given their influence on such artists as ELO and Oasis, I admire what the filmmakers suggested with the premise that a world without The Beatles couldn't exist. YESTERDAY is a gentle romantic comedy that appears as a fitting tribute to the Fab Four while showing the absurdity of a Beatles-free world. A few aspects of the film's storyline got me bothered and confused. For example, did our hero, Jack, experience this alternative reality, or was it just a coma-induced dream? I won't give away what ensues, but it did leave me wondering.

The lead actor, Himesh Patel, was ideal for the underdog struggling musician who, while enjoying fame, battles with his conscience. Kate McKimmon portrays a satirical take on a power-hungry manager, providing extra comedy to the film. Though I have never been a fan of Ed Sheeran and his music, he almost steals the show with his willingness to have humour at his expense.

The musical sequences were gratifying whether you are a Beatles fan from way back or a newbie first exposed to their timeless classics. The film's subplot contains romantic tension between Jack and his loyal friend and manager, Ellie. It results from the question of will-they-or-won't-they end up together?

It is far from the best movie I've ever seen, but I consider YESTERDAY a decent film. If you are a longtime fan of John, George, Paul and Ringo, you'll love it!

Star rating: (6/10) Fair Movie

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