Yesterday (2019) Movie Review

 Back when I was a kid, the music teacher at my school was this old hippie dude with a massive beard. He'd hand out tambourines and triangles and teach us these simple tunes. After class, he'd dive into these wild stories about the Beatles, like he was living out some real-life version of "I Wanna Hold Your Hand." I mean, we were just 8-year-olds, clueless about what he was jabbering on about, but his excitement was contagious. I ended up learning how to harmonize by singing along to my folks' Beatles records. It was like the Beatles were just everywhere, seeping into our brains without us even realizing it.

So, this movie "Yesterday" got me thinking. What if the Beatles never existed? What if you heard "Yesterday" for the first time today? The flick, written by Richard Curtis, dives into this idea, but it kinda leaves some stuff hanging.

Now, let's talk about Jack. He's a struggling musician, big time. Plays in empty coffee shops, belts out tunes on deserted boardwalks. His childhood buddy Ellie, who's head over heels for him and his music since he rocked out Oasis' "Wonderwall" back in school, acts as his manager, cheerleader, you name it. Jack's on the brink of giving up when BAM! Earth has a 12-second blackout, and he gets creamed by a bus. When he wakes up, he starts singing "Will you still feed me when I'm 64?" to Ellie, and she's like, "Huh?" Google's got no clue about the Beatles either. Weird, right?

So, Jack does what any struggling artist would do. He starts passing off Beatles tunes as his own. And when he plays "Yesterday" for his pals, you can see it in their eyes – they're feeling it, man. But when he performs in clubs, it's like he's background noise. Makes him question if it's the songs that are great or if he's just not cutting it. There's this whole thing about whether the magic of the Fab Four was just too unique. The movie kinda touches on it but doesn't dig deep.

Anyway, Jack ends up recording some tracks and catches the eye of Ed Sheeran, who takes him on tour. And when Jack busts out "Back in the U.S.S.R." in Moscow, it's pandemonium – seriously, a killer scene. Sheeran's all humble, comparing himself to Salieri next to Jack's Mozart.

Debra Hammer, played by Kate McKinnon, swoops in on Jack like a hawk eyeing its prey after one of his gigs. Next thing he knows, he's whisked off to Los Angeles, offered what Debra charmingly calls "the poisoned chalice" of fame. McKinnon nails the role with her deadpan delivery, highlighting the absurdity of the PR machine in showbiz.

The movie pokes fun at the music industry, like when an ad exec shoots down the album title "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" for having "too many words" and points out the "serious diversity issues" of calling an album "The White Album." There are some hilarious moments, like Jack desperately trying to remember the lyrics to "Eleanor Rigby," fearing the song will be lost forever.

But "Yesterday" misses out on exploring its most intriguing ideas. Jack becomes a global sensation overnight, but the film glosses over the ripple effects of the Beatles' absence. Culture isn't just about someone filling a void; it's about the unique mix of people, time, and place. The movie hints at this when Jack's Beatles covers fall flat at coffee-shop gigs. What if people wouldn't even care if the Beatles never existed?

Instead, "Yesterday" focuses too much on Jack and Ellie's relationship, which feels cliché and uninspired. It aims to be a feel-good movie, and parts of it do hit the mark – like the emotional impact of friends hearing "Yesterday" for the first time. But there's a late choice in the film that feels cheap and underdeveloped, leaving me conflicted. It's like they wanted to tug at heartstrings without putting in the effort to earn it.