10/1/19 - Yesterday (2019) - 5/10

What to say? I wish this film had been better. I admit to finding the premise quaint and interesting. It was a special treat for a science fictiony film like this to just accept the premise and move through it, as opposed to providing a universe explaining “only man that matters” narrative as we might get in a similar subjected film. He doesn’t try to figure out what happened or why, he just moves on, as might be more sensible. Unfortunately, despite being cute, lightly whimsical and intrinsically kind of likable, it suffers from a general malaise and saccharine disposition that spoils it.

The Beatles music, and its emphasis, is intoxicating. You can’t help but tap your foot, hum under your breath, or mouth the words as the classic tunes are belted out. But that fantastic foursome’s melodic magic can’t save what otherwise doesn’t quite work. It is fine, but I expect more from the brilliance of Boyle. His transitions were rinky dink amateur, the characters were pretty milquetoast, and the thrust of the film, through story and through film creation, was uninspired.

Lilly James was naturally evocative and likeable, but Patel was good and relatable but lacked gravitas. Sheeran I wasn’t expecting much from, not being his core profession, but I was shocked at McKinnon’s total flub. Her character is unlikable, granted, but she is not funny and she feels like from a different film. More like a cliche from an SNL sketch and she was able to pull me out of the film with every frame she was in.

This isn’t a bad movie. It struggles but it retains its lukewarm charm. I enjoyed the pseudo-musical joy it brings. It is definitely better than Across the Universe, at the very least.

The best part of the film is the music. By far. But it just gives us matches when we want to be burned alive at the stake.