Yesterday (2019) - Simplistic, yet endlessly fascinating!

Ever since I began my studies into film, I’ve heard the commonly negative attitude towards simplistic story ideas, with many people often pushing for bigger and more complex ideas. But ultimately, a simple premise can be a strong factor towards a film’s success. Which is exactly the case with Danny Boyle’s latest release, Yesterday, which left an instant impact on me, thanks to it’s well crafted plotline, especially since it’s an idea that is so easy to create, yet nobody has gone to this extent before.

Now the basic outline of struggling musician, Jack Malik (Hemish Patel) recovering from an accident to find he is the only person to remember anything about legendary pop act, The Beatles, and then using his knowledge to essentially reintroduce their work to the world is so simplistic on paper, and could easily turn people away at the cheesy premise. But ultimately, it’s the simple premise that also makes it endlessly intriguing. I was constantly hooked on the journey of Patel’s character, and really felt my heartstrings being tugged at, whenever they delved into the chemistry between Jack and childhood friend, Ellie. (Lily James)

Now, the way this premise gets kick-started can be very questionable for the sceptical audience members among us. But the film doesn’t put focus on what caused the scenario Jack is in, but instead, follows the inevitable situations Jack faces, when he suddenly becomes the only person in Britain to seemingly know about these classic pop songs. In the end, the narrative takes a really heart-warming and unpredictable turn in the final act, avoiding many outcomes that many audiences members (myself included) could have easily predicted.

Lily continues to demonstrates her fantastic and effortless acting skills, demonstrating emotions that many of us feel when it comes to those we truly care about. As someone who has often found it hard to express strong feelings towards others, I truly understand how much emotional pain Ellie is dealing with, thanks to Lily James’ portrayal of those emotions. As well as that, Patel’s transition to film from TV is also effortless. His acting is full of charm and dry-British wit. As with Lily James, Patel demonstrates the built up emotions and feelings, and the struggle to open up about them properly.

The use of celebrities being featured as themselves can easily tarnish a film’s reputation, thankfully this is not the case with the inclusion of British musical legend, Ed Sheeran, who is a welcome addition to this narrative, without being overbearing. And while others may criticise his performance as being dry when compared to the more passion driven performances from the likes of Patel and James, it must be remembered that Sheeran isn’t playing a character, but instead is appearing as himself within the narrative. And since Sheeran has never been shown to be a loud and performative person, it would be very juxtaposing to have him behave differently in the film, compared to how our society sees him.

Production values are top notch throughout the film, with the two biggest highlights being the work of editor, Jon Harris, and cinematographer, Christopher Ross. Ross’s sublime use of space and colour leaves every frame full of vibrancy and well angled moments, leaving few shots with unnecessary dead space. Harris’ editing compliments Ross’ camera work, utilising fast cutting, overlaid shots, and documentary style split-screen, which helps draw the audience into some of the film’s biggest moments.

Now, obviously, if you don’t like the sound of a film that relies on a simplistic and cheesy premise, then you’ve probably made your mind up by now. But for those still on the fence, consider giving this film a try. It’s still a well-made and endlessly lovable British film, destined to be a classic among the ranks of other fantastic British films. You’ll be entranced by the powerhouse performances, beautiful emotional beats and an endlessly fascinating plot-thread.

SCORES

Story 5/5

Characters 5/5

Production 5/5

Acting 5/5

Music 5/5

Overall - 10/10