"They just kept getting bigger and bigger after they broke up, to the point where they’re much more famous and beloved today than they were in the Sixties." ( Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone Review) Not true. Rob was 4 years old when the Beatles broke up, I was 13. And Beatlemania was a bonafide world wide phenomenon.
The Beatles were the backdrop to my whole childhood/teen years from a very young age. Their influence, from the start, cannot be overstated. The movie insists all viewers suspend reality at the start, and we do. Patel was very well suited to the role; perhaps he has an appeal you are immune to? The songs were showcased well, contrary to some criticism I've read, and Patel does them justice. The recalling and writing down the lyrics we all sang along to, hundreds of times, was charming. The premise of how the world would be different if they'd never existed is a thoughtful one, worthy of a film. Yesterday successfully shines a spotlight on one theory.
p.s. the idea that everyone is very aware of their music today is not true. Several months ago at a local pub the band did a wonderful rendition of Dear Prudence. I was thrilled, the woman I was with, only a few years younger than me, said she'd never heard it before. Hard to Imagine, but true.
