Movie Review: Yesterday

Yesterday (2019 poster).png
The media makes many touching tributes to some of our biggest bands. Biopics have become very popular such as the "Bohemian Rhapsody", or the forthcoming one on Elton John, Rocket Man.

But what if I told you that there was a quasi autobiopic out called Yesterday? A movie that really does a great job at paying tribute to the Fab Four - especially now that it's been five decades since "Abbey Road" came out."

It's more than a tribute...

 It's not my place in this blog to ruin the surprise or tell you what this is about, but in short, Jack Malik is an asipiring musician who is studying to be a schoolteacher after playing the local cafes and bars doesn't work out. He suddenly suffers a traumatic incident and when he wakes up, it seems the world has never heard of the Beatles.

Malik takes advantage of this by "writing" songs, which are in fact of the Beatles. At some point, he confesses that all the songs he performed were Beatles songs. To top it all off, he travels to Liverpool and visits key landmarks of Beatles' smash hits from Strawberry Fields, to Penny Lane, and even Eleanor Rigby's grave.

My Humble Opinion:

 The Beatles have really left a mark on the world and have forever changed the realm of popular music. From introducing guitar feedback on I Feel Fine, to incorporating various effects (a la I am The Walrus, Good Morning, Good Morning, etc.), to even opening the pathway to progressive rock. Yes, the Beatles did write some lengthy songs with even time signature changes. Many of the band's elements has been recycled by other bands. Just take a listen to the spoken lines in I Am The Walrus and compare it to the countless spoken lines on "The Dark Side of The Moon.

Considering that the Beatles are only down to half of what they were (Yes, Paul is still alive :-)), this movie really pays respect to the Fab Four. I've been saddened ever since Universal Music began pulling their songs from YouTube and hope that this movie leads to a turn around, and that the world will appreciate this virtuosos more than ever.

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