I'm going to assume you know how much of a Beatles fan I am, so lets start right there.
Yes, I am predisposed to like this movie because it involves the Beatles - the greatest band of all time, IMHO. BUT- the reverse is also true: BECAUSE I'm such a big fan, I'm that much harder to impress, and am therefore much more critical of anyone who attempts any such thing.
The movie stars Himesh Patel, and he's great - as a guy who gets hit by a bus during a short, world wide power outage. When he comes to, he discovers that nobody has ever heard of the Beatles. So when he sings their songs, they think he wrote them, and that he's a genius.
Now, on the surface- it sounds cute, and I guess it is. But as the movie rolls along (with apperances by Ed Sheeran, and SNL's awesome Kate Mckinnon), it looks like it's headed for predictability. What it does, however, is anything but. And that's where this movie succeeds. I'm not to go into it and spoil it for anyone but just when i thought it was going to go left, it went right. And that was beautiful.
And where it goes makes perfect sense. If you see it, you'll know what I mean.
Patel is awesome in the lead role, and he's funny - as is the movie. There are a ton of moments in it that made me laugh out loud.
And co star Lily James is a joy to watch. Plus- she's beautiful. It's hard not to fall in love with her in this movie...
And the thing that amazes me most is that here's a movie, in 2019- that just makes you fall in love with the band all over again. When Patel sings "Help!"- he's screaming out to anybody who can hear him. That's the true lyric of the song - and yet it got lost amidst the upbeat melody. I don't think anyone ever looked at the pain in those lyrics until years later.
The performances are great here, and the music is - well, you know - but the point I want you to know is that this movie SURPRISED me. I never expected it to be as good as it is. I didn't expect to laugh as much as I did, and I didn't expect to leave the theater thinking - "Man, that was a JOYFUL MOVIE!"
But I did.
So see it. See it if you love the Beatles. See it if you even like them a litte.
It's a good flick.
g
ps. Patel can sing!