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Written by Sunil Dhokia An unevenly directed movie coupled with a muddled screenplay overshadows solid performances from its lead actors. What's The Movie About? Directed by Danny Boyle, Yesterday (2019) is a romantic comedy that follows the story of Jack Malik (Himesh Patel), a struggling musician who is the only person in the world that knows who The Beatles are, following a road accident that he experiences. Thereafter, Jack is propelled into the stardom of the music world after taking credit for the songs that The Beatles wrote. Spoiler-Warning: I will be covering the key plot points in Yesterday so if you have not seen the movie, I would advise that you watch the movie first and then come back to my review to avoid any narrative details. The Good In a movie that had so much potential, it unfortunately only delivers in the acting department: Acting Despite being mostly known for his work in T.V roles such as EastEnders, Himesh Patel makes the successful transition from the small screen to the silver screen. In a role that could have easily descended into fanboyism, Himesh Patel brings a reserved and quiet nature to his performance as Jack Malik with the loud, bravado moments saved for the range of songs that he performs from The Beatles back-catalogue. Lily James brings a level of warmth and charm to her performance as Jack's friend, Ellie Appleton. She shares an easy chemistry with Himesh Patel as the emotional moments that Ellie goes through in the movie such as when Jack talks to Ellie at a train station before he sets off to Los Angeles, allows Lily's acting chops to come to the forefront. For any Beatles fans out there (which I imagine are quite a few), they will be quite satisfied with how the movie pays homage to this iconic rock group. Fan favourite songs such as 'Eleanor Rigby' and 'Hey Jude' are performed and referenced throughout the movie, as Himesh Patel does a reliable job of showing his surprising vocal range to the various Beatles songs and therefore respecting the legacy of The Beatles. Negatives The lead performances in Yesterday are sadly let down by the movie's execution in its direction and screenplay: Direction and Screenplay Given director Danny Boyle's reputation as one of Britain's best exports in the movie industry along with screenwriter Richard Curtis's credentials in the romantic comedy landscape, it comes as quite a surprise as to how there's a lack of focus in the way that the story is told. This is evident when the story tries to bring back Ellie's character, each time Jack's fame rises throughout the movie. Jack and Ellie's romantic sub-plot doesn't quite hit home. The screenplay provides titbits of information about Jack and Ellie's friendship which the story never really delves into nor does it have any emotional impact on the audience. There's always the feeling that Danny Boyle needs to get through these emotional moments as quickly as possible so that we can hear Jack perform the next Beatles song. The lack of development to Jack and Ellie's relationship, particularly when Jack proclaims his love for her in the penultimate scene at Wembley Stadium (as a result of a below-par screenplay) means that its significance falls flat when in an ideal world, this should be the rousing moment where Jack's redemption in his character arc pays off. Summary A lack of clarity in the direction of the movie along with questionable choices in the screenplay, despite reliable performances from Himesh Patel and Lily James, stop Yesterday from achieving legendary status like its musical counterpart. Verdict On The Movie 6 out of 10 Parting Musical Gift In keeping with the title of the movie, I leave you with The Beatles classic song 'Yesterday' which is one of my favourite Beatles songs of all-time. I hope you enjoy this beautiful piece of music as much as I do. Your Thoughts What are your thoughts on Yesterday? Do you agree that the direction and screenplay hindered the movie? Comment below, as I'd love to hear your thoughts. All images above and below and their copyright belong to Universal Pictures and any other respective owners. All YouTube content below and their copyright belong to Calderstone Productions Limited (a division of Universal Music Group) and any other respective owners. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
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About MeMy name is Sunil Dhokia, I'm a movie fanatic and love all things Hollywood. Blog Archives
June 2020
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