The review:
I’d forgotten what a romantic Danny Boyle is, and his love of the absurd,* and those two things, combined with an interesting premise, elevated Yesterday far beyond my expectations. Himesh Patel’s varying levels of despair—even as he was gaining fame by “writing” songs by the Beatles—was fun to watch, as was Kate McKinnon as Debra Hammer—a money hungry manager. I also found myself surprised by the turns in the story, which always makes for a good film; as does good music, which the Beatles produced in quantity.**
The verdict: Recommended
Cost: $4.00
Where watched: Academy Theater—nearly a full house.
Consider also watching:
- That Thing You Do (both have recording of backing tracks involving clapping)
- Millions
- A Life Less Ordinary
- 127 Hours (though this is a grimmer film than the other two)
Further sentences:
*The movie Millions has a special place in my heart
**There’s a moving turn near the end I didn’t see coming, which was also delightful.
Favorite IMDB trivia item:
Though it was not in the original script, director Danny Boyle was so taken with the discovery of a recording studio by a railway track that he had the text altered to incorporate the trains and utilize the location as Gavin’s studio.
