TV and Movies

[Pearlee]

I know there is a thread already about anticipating this film's release but this is a review of the movie thread.     Today is opening day, but 

I saw it at an advance showing last night! (Although the advance showing was not publicized, the manager told me there were only four seats left in the theater so it was well attended). 

First off, it's really for people who love Beatles music and who also know lyrics to the songs and some history  behind the songs (e.g.  for Hey Jude song  why it was written and for whom;  lots of references to lyrics in Eleanor Rigby so if you don't know the lyrics those scenes won't mean much).  I would not esp. recommend this film to people not really, really familiar with the Beatles music.  Also, as anyone who has seen trailers or promos for the film already know, the premise of the film is preposterous (a worldwide power failure means apparently only one man remembers the Beatles) and that's fine - you buy into that ridiculous premise for a fun film.

The film is really a romantic comedy, and a mediocre one at that (for me it was hugely lacking in chemistry between the two people involved).   It's love of the Beatles that "makes" the film for those of us who do.  The people behind this film were also behind Love Actually, and Four Weddings and  a Funeral and, Beatles lover that I am, I have to say those films were better.   There were some very funny lines and scenes in this film, but not enough of them - I wish there had been more.  (For example, the funny scene about prospective album covers).   Scenes with the lead's parents were not funny, even though supposed to be.  The acting was all good and Ed Sheeran did a nice job with his role.   But as I say, it's a mediocre rom com that's fun because of all the Beatles music and references.  I will also say that every time the star (Himesh Patel) Googles something, it's pretty darn funny.   And there's a good line about Back in the U.S.S.R.  so listen for that.

However, near the end of the film, something very unexpected happens that helps the main character come to a resolution of how he's going to get out of becoming famous by passing Beatles songs off as his own.  I will not spoil that for anyone (and please nobody else do either - I'm not even going to offer that option in a gray spoiler alert here) but for me it completely shifts the lighthearted tone of the film for a few minutes and it was appalling to me and in very bad taste (some will probably disagree with me).  That scene was something I would not have included in the film.  I sat through the entire film wishing I were seeing it with Sir Paul McC., but when it got to that near-the-end scene I really wondered what he thought about that - I didn't think he'd like it either (but could be wrong).  Folks reading this - you'll know the scene I mean when you see it.

Lastly, I will put in this post a minor spoiler that occurs during the credits at the end, and a comment about that.  Reading it - and my comment about it -will spoil a pleasant little surprise for you during the credits, but doesn't do any harm about the film to read:

Spoiler

Sir Paul himself is singing Hey Jude over the end credits, from when he was still a Beatle, in that sweet, cherubic voice of his.   It was wonderful, but it also made me think the rest of the film's Beatles music sung by the lead actor Patel, paled badly in comparison to the real Beatles.   While Patel has a good voice, the Beatles music he sang of course had none of the charm, energy,  exhuberance,  or fabulous harmonies,  of the Fab Four as a group.   It made me truly long for Yesterday (i.e. The Beatles, all four together).

Speaking of which, I wondered why he was singing Hey Jude rather than Yesterday and thought it might have to do with the rights to each of those songs.  Whatever, it was lovely to hear Sir Paul and brought tears to my eyes over the credits.  

[Alter Ego]

Most movies no longer open on Friday, but have advance showings that usually start in the early evening the night before. Oftentimes, the movie times work out better for me on Thursday vs the official Friday opening and I often go then.

That being said, I’m planning on seeing it tonight. Unlike you, I do not know much about the history of Beatles music; I basically just know the big songs. Based on your comments, I’m guessing that I’m going to miss some of the deeper meaning of the movie. My morning critic gave it a B+

[Pearlee]

---

@Alter Ego wrote:
Most movies no longer open on Friday, but have advance showings that usually start in the early evening the night before. Oftentimes, the movie times work out better for me on Thursday vs the official Friday opening and I often go then.

That being said, I’m planning on seeing it tonight. Unlike you, I do not know much about the history of Beatles music; I basically just know the big songs. Based on your comments, I’m guessing that I’m going to miss some of the deeper meaning of the movie. My morning critic gave it a B+

---

@Alter Ego  Then I'll be esp. interested in what you have to write about it.  You may prove my comments wrong about needing to know a lot about the Beatles/lyrics.  I hope you enjoy the film and again, I'll be interested in reading your comments about it.

[Alter Ego]

@Pearlee There’s a possibility that I may like it more because I don’t know what I’m missing. For example, I personally was very disappointed in Alladin because I know how great the stage version is and I was comparing voices to that.  But others, who didn’t have that frame of reference, enjoyed it much more.

[Pearlee]

---

@Pearlee wrote:

I know there is a thread already about anticipating this film's release but this is a review of the movie thread.     Today is opening day, but 

I saw it at an advance showing last night! (Although the advance showing was not publicized, the manager told me there were only four seats left in the theater so it was well attended). 

First off, it's really for people who love Beatles music and who also know lyrics to the songs and some history  behind the songs (e.g.  for Hey Jude song  why it was written and for whom;  lots of references to lyrics in Eleanor Rigby so if you don't know the lyrics those scenes won't mean much).  I would not esp. recommend this film to people not really, really familiar with the Beatles music.  Also, as anyone who has seen trailers or promos for the film already know, the premise of the film is preposterous (a worldwide power failure means apparently only one man remembers the Beatles) and that's fine - you buy into that ridiculous premise for a fun film.

The film is really a romantic comedy, and a mediocre one at that (for me it was hugely lacking in chemistry between the two people involved).   It's love of the Beatles that "makes" the film for those of us who do.  The people behind this film were also behind Love Actually, and Four Weddings and  a Funeral and, Beatles lover that I am, I have to say those films were better.   There were some very funny lines and scenes in this film, but not enough of them - I wish there had been more.  (For example, the funny scene about prospective album covers).   Scenes with the lead's parents were not funny, even though supposed to be.  The acting was all good and Ed Sheeran did a nice job with his role.   But as I say, it's a mediocre rom com that's fun because of all the Beatles music and references.  I will also say that every time the star (Himesh Patel) Googles something, it's pretty darn funny.   And there's a good line about Back in the U.S.S.R.  so listen for that.

However, near the end of the film, something very unexpected happens that helps the main character come to a resolution of how he's going to get out of becoming famous by passing Beatles songs off as his own.  I will not spoil that for anyone (and please nobody else do either - I'm not even going to offer that option in a gray spoiler alert here) but for me it completely shifts the lighthearted tone of the film for a few minutes and it was appalling to me and in very bad taste (some will probably disagree with me).  That scene was something I would not have included in the film.  I sat through the entire film wishing I were seeing it with Sir Paul McC., but when it got to that near-the-end scene I really wondered what he thought about that - I didn't think he'd like it either (but could be wrong).  Folks reading this - you'll know the scene I mean when you see it.

Lastly, I will put in this post a minor spoiler that occurs during the credits at the end, and a comment about that.  Reading it - and my comment about it -will spoil a pleasant little surprise for you during the credits, but doesn't do any harm about the film to read:

Spoiler

Sir Paul himself is singing Hey Jude over the end credits, from when he was still a Beatle, in that sweet, cherubic voice of his.   It was wonderful, but it also made me think the rest of the film's Beatles music sung by the lead actor Patel, paled badly in comparison to the real Beatles.   While Patel has a good voice, the Beatles music he sang of course had none of the charm, energy,  exhuberance,  or fabulous harmonies,  of the Fab Four as a group.   It made me truly long for Yesterday (i.e. The Beatles, all four together).

Speaking of which, I wondered why he was singing Hey Jude rather than Yesterday and thought it might have to do with the rights to each of those songs.  Whatever, it was lovely to hear Sir Paul and brought tears to my eyes over the credits.  

---

So, I'm now reading other reviews of the film (which I don't recommend doing until you've seen it since something may be ruined) and I now see that Peter Travers over at Rolling Stone magazine, agreed with what I thought (in red above) by stating:

"...The film takes some seriously wrong turns, such as an awful surprise ... near the end ..."

Glad to see I'm not the only one.

[Pearlee]

One thing I forgot to mention in my first post is that I missed quite a few words at the beginning of the film, due to thick English accents!  ( @dulwich  - I needed an interpreter!) ,  After I while I got used to it and didn't have trouble understanding/ hearing the main characters, but at first I did.

[Pearlee]

Has anyone else seen this yet?

[Alter Ego]

@Pearlee I just got home and I didn’t have the same reaction as you.  LOL

As I said, I don’t know the history of the songs and, instead, the story of the movie was about Jack’s guilt for telling this big lie.  However, even though I’m looking at the film in possibly a more superficial way, one thing I noticed that would probably annoy someone with a deeper interest was...

Spoiler

the fact that Jack didn’t have a good explanation for the songs and what they meant. 

Pearley comments, for example, on Eleanor Rigby, and I guess I don’t know if there’s supposed to be anything more than someone trying to remember the lyrics.  Because I don’t know, I don’t think I missed anything. (If that makes sense.) I think NOT being a mega fan may be a good thing.

i agree about that scene at the end.  

Spoiler

I thought it brought up more questions about what you’re supposed to believe in the overall world of the movie.  

I did like the scene beforehand, with the yellow submarine.

The googling was great fun!

It wasn’t my idea of a rom-com, although several reviews call it that. I guess it did have a quintessential rom-com ending for boy and girl, but it was also one of those slower, arty films that I’m not sure I would recommend to everyone.

The people to my right walked out mid-movie.  The people on my left liked it and thought it was a “cute movie”.

Finally, can we agree that Kate McKinnon practically ruins the film?  I felt like she was channeling Elizabeth Banks character from Pitch Perfect for an SNL skit.

Overall, I liked it with a B grade.

[countrylady]

Thank you for your excellent review!

I'd seen the trailers and was wondering about the film.

[Lisa now in AZ]

I am seeing this on July 4th with a friend. Looking forward to it and won't read any reviews because I don't want to be spoiled.