What would the world be like without the Beatles? There’s a certain charm to this fantasy rom com despite some musical shortcomings. The premise is not flawless but it is intriguing.
Lightning struck during a cataclysmic phenomenon which changed the whole world. Singer/songwriter, Jack Malik (Himesh Patel, BBC’s Eastenders) crashes his bike into a bus which puts Jack in the hospital with missing teeth and broken bones. He’s a mess. During recovery, he starts casually playing Beatles songs. Nobody know the songs and assume that he wrote them. The Beatles have been removed from the world’s consciousness!
Writer Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Love Actually) is known for his successful rom coms, but this was not his idea. It was pitched to him by Jack Barth who had written 20 screenplays, none of which ever produced. Curtis bought Barth’s idea and credits him with the story, but wrote the script himself, keeping it light and slapping on a happier ending.
Director Danny Boyle, (Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting), had some fun with the material, too. He creates the situations that have Patel play lost and clueless so innocently that you feel for his plight. He can’t understand why nobody knows these songs but him. Himesh Patel rehearsed Beatles songs for more than 2 months in what was to be Jack’s room in the movie.
Curtis and Boyle say one the hardest things was picking which of the Beatles 174 songs to put in the movie.
Lily James is adorable as Jack’s best friend, fan and manager. She is right there in the hospital there to help him recover, but surprised at his wealth of fresh material. But concerned that he keeps talking about things no one else knows about. She lights up every scene she’s in.
Some of the funniest material are the references Jack looks up to try to prove the Beatles and their songs are real and famous. The time line has somehow been warped by the strange occurrence, and he can’t “Let It Be.” When he plays that song for his parents, they not only don’t remember it, but his Mum suggests he change it to “Leave It Be.”
Besides the Beatles, there are other well known, common place products that are missing, like the absence of Coca Cola which cause blank stares when he requests it.
Jack’s music takes hold and when Ed Sheeran shows up because he’s heard about this supposedly unique talent, Sheeran plays his part with deadpan comedy. Sheeran is great acting as a version of himself and even did a little ad libbing himself in the scene where Jack is recording “Hey, Jude”. Hearing it for the first time, Sheeran tries to get Jack to change the lyrics to “Hey, Dude.” Hearing him say “Dudie, Dudie, Dudie,” is a good laugh.
Patel plays wide-eyed and innocent well, but doesn’t have the music chops on the same par as the Beatles or Sheeran. But the message of the movie is that the songs are so great, even a hack can pull it off. The concert scene emphasizes the difference between the pro and the novice, but it was fun to see Sheeran play along with conceit of the plot. He looked like he was having a good time, too.
Curtis even revealed that Sheeran’s wife is in the film. She plays the flight attendant who doesn’t know what Jack wants when he asks for a “Coke” on the plane. More funny blank stares.
Kate McKinnon can play any character and get laughs. Here she’s a dislikable Hollywood Label Manager who doesn’t quite get Jack. Her puzzled, disgusted unfiltered reactions to just about anything he says about music are hilarious. She just winces and says non sequiturs like “You are skinny and somehow round,” then turns and walks away, probably still talking to herself.
There are some interesting detours with famous people whose lives may were changed as well. The effort seemed to fall flat and did not strike what we thought was the intended emotional chord.
Writer Curtis relayed that the film was sent to remaining Beatles, and their families, who all gave their blessing. We give it our blessing too, as harmless fun with timeless music and a cute love story. Himesh Patel may never be a rock star and this movie may not rock your world, but it’s a pleasant trip down Abbey Road.
Universal 116 Minutes PG-13
