Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Yesterday’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

If there one’s thing I’ve always found to be wonderful and magnificent in regard to people as a whole, it is our ability to instantly find common ground when it comes to the things we love. Because there is something truly magical about seeing two strangers suddenly come together and form a friendship over the fact that they’re both football fans or share a fondness for a particular television series or movie franchise or are huge fans of a particular band. If anything, seeing people bond just like that over something so simple speaks to the power of the things we celebrate, especially when it comes to art in any form or fashion. Because the creative elements that flow through our world, unlock something special within us personally, and being able to share in their wonder with others and learn what it all means to someone else is truly a unique and powerful experience.
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Which is why we cry out about our love of a particular piece of art from the mountain top, so to speak, in order to bring joy to others and let them share in the wonder of what we’ve discovered as well. If anything, the art we love gives us a fascinating sense of peace and binds us to the point where we don’t quite feel alone in the world on those days when the going gets tough because it is always there for us, and there’s no way that we will ever lose the feelings of unity it sends our way. But what would happen if what we love disappeared from the face of the earth, and we were the only person who knew anything about it? Would we be able to handle being the only one out there to know of its magic, or would we find a way to share it with others somehow? Those are fascinating questions to say the least, the kind that fiction loves to explore, and it just so happens that director Danny Boyle’s latest film, Yesterday, examines a world where such a thing might happen in the most fascinating ways imaginable.

For this movie gives us a world where a freak event wipes the Beatles from the world’s collective memory and only one man, a struggling musician named Jack Malik, seems to remember them and he sees a grand opportunity to save his flailing career by giving the music of the Beatles back to the world and well, that’s a fascinating premise any way you slice it. And what originally attracted me to this film was the fact that at first glance, it really seemed as though it was going to offer up some juicy commentary on the world of music today and it definitely has something to say about that. For this movie does point out how the industry has lost its way when it comes to creativity since there are so many people involved now in putting together an album and the ‘product’ is of more concern than the music itself and while the little digs this story takes at the music biz are fascinating in their own right, they pale in comparison in regard to what this movie has to say about fame in the modern world.

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Because this a story that truly encapsulates the ‘look at me’ era we are currently living within, and how everyone wants their ticket to stardom and they want it now and they want it quick and obviously for Jack, that comes about with no problem since the music of the Beatles resonates well in this alternate world. But what he is ill prepared for is the fallout of his quest for fame. For his best friend, Ellie Appleton, is deeply in love with Jack and stands by him at every turn and hopes he will wake up and see what he has in front of him. But rather than recognize her feelings, the work comes first and he hurts her by making that the only focal point in this life, and that’s a heartbreaking twist to inject into this tale and it is one that is definitely designed to reflect the journey of those who spend endless hours working to find fame on YouTube and Instagram and everything between. For these folks spend every waking moment on a platform, collecting likes and subscriptions over living their lives, which brings us to the most important analysis about art that this film has to offer.
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For this is a movie that really takes the time to examine not only the power of art, but what drives it and the hollow nature of Jack’s journey is a direct result of the fact that he ignores the most important part of music or writing, or anything in that vein in that; it requires an injection of one’s real life experiences to be truly successful. And I love how the story expresses this point by having Jack try and recapture the magic of some of these songs by visiting places the Beatles wrote about, and it’s also quite powerful how there’s a subtle lack of passion in his music until he begins to try and live his life a little bit. Which makes this entire segment of this story magnificent in its own right because it serves as an inspirational blueprint for anyone wanting to get into something creative since they can walk out of this film armed with the knowledge that living a rich life and injecting their emotion and their experiences into their work will not only make their art better, but it will also fulfill them in ways they never thought possible.

Which also speaks to the power of what the Beatles put together since their music often featured nuggets of everyday life and it was full of emotion and that’s why it makes sense to use their work as the centerpiece for this film since they are the greatest rock and roll band of all time, and their music truly transcends the human condition. But, all analysis aside, it takes a wonderful cast to engage an audience and make this wild premise work and this film succeeds in that goal as well. For Himesh Patel and Lily James are simply brilliant as Jack and Ellie respectively, and really all of these elements make Yesterday a motion picture that I highly recommend. Because this movie really is a delight to watch, and it is full of endearing moments, solid laughs and a great soundtrack and a plot that truly stays with you, long after the story has come to an end.   

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