Certificate – 12A
Directed By – Danny Boyle
Starring – Himesh Patel, Lily James, Kate McKinnon, Ed Sheeran, Sanjeev Bhaskar.
Running Time – 116 Minutes (1 Hour 56 Minutes)
I love Richard Curtis movies, Love Actually helped me bring back a smile when I was in the during my early experience of depression when I was 21. Even before then, with films like About Time, Four Weddings and I love The Boat That Rocked.
So imagine my joy of seeing Curtis is back as a writer bringing a new movie (despite the subject, more on that later) with a great cast and Boyle in the director’s chair.
What Is Yesterday About?
Following being knocked out during a worldwide blackout, struggling pub singer Jack (Patel) wakes up to a world without The Beatles (if only). So he tries to remember as many songs as possible as superstardom awaits. However, can he live with the lie?
Is It Any Good?
The things I enjoyed is this cast. This could be the beginning of a fantastic big screen career for Patel. He carries this film so well and does have a fantastic voice.
Meanwhile, James is great in everything she’s in and plays the role of Ellie and could play any character worth rooting for.
As for the rest of the supporting cast, McKinnon grabs the screen and takes control whenever she shows up.
Elsewhere, Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal do a great job of being Jack parents.
The film does have a love of feelgood and emotional moments that helps bring you in and a lot of that is down to the quartet of Boyle, Curtis, Patel and James and they’re the reason why there’s joy in this rom-com.
I also liked the use of social media and I think embedded in a way films will bring it in the future.
Anything Bad About This Film?
I can’t stress this enough, I don’t like the Beatles. I think they’re one of the most overrated bands ever and just don’t see what clearly everyone in the world sees.
While the cast works and Boyle and Curtis do add some good things, but this is easily their worst work and that’s a real shame because I truly love Curtis’ work.
I think it might be time for the 62-year-old to focus on rom-coms with characters in their 50s instead of those 25 year’s younger.
While a large part of the cast works, others don’t. Firstly, the romantic chemistry between our leads, the love felt forced instead of natural like Charles and Carrie in Four Weddings or Jamie and Aurelia in Love Actually.
Ed Sheeran should never act ever and he was playing himself, Lamorne Morris is completely wasted and Ana de Armas (who’s in the trailers) is completely cut out.
They also have a confrontation moment that was completely bottled and there are no shocking moments like Harry cheating Karen in Love Actually, a moment we still cry to and then Fiona confessing her love for Charles in Four Weddings.
The comedy is just not on par with Curtis’ previous work and it’s a real disappointment.
This also has one of the worst cameos I’ve seen since David Beckham was in King Arthur.
Verdict
Patel is great as is the always fantastic James and there are some feelgood, emotional moments, but this is Curtis and Boyle worst work which is a real shame.
The Bear Cave 