Chris Sleap

This film tried to be a feel good film, the likes of Mama Mia but fails to reach that pinnacle. One night what must have been a world wide blackout, wiped out people’s memories of The Beatles amongst a few other things. Jack Malik, a young amateur song writer, musician seems to be the only one who remembers them and starts a Beatlemania of his own. There are a lot of holes in the plot and the timeline is out of kilter. It was good to hear the Beatles songs and in my view Jack had a better voice than Paul Mcartney in certain songs. The cameo appearance of nerdy Ed Sheeran, certainly not a future film star, added nothing to this film but the presence of Lily James gave it some glamour and verve. This film is so far fetched as to be ridiculous, it is only the songs that make it watchable. Towards the end an unlikely couple come to see see Jack and it seemed they too remembered the Fab Four and there was also a tiny mention that some guys called Paul Macartney and Ringo Starr had rung to announce that they had written the songs but this was not explored. At the end Jack goes to a an isolated farmhouse and speaks to a man with a very unlikely resemblance to John Lennon. What this was all about remained a mystery to me and held no relationship to the plot at all. The ending held in the holiday resort of Gorleston on Sea tried to ignite a fervour but failed, a load of extras gathered on beach trying to emulate Beatlemania. This film did not stand up to the likes of Mamma Mia, Bohemian Rhapsody or Rocketman but might appeal to people who weren’t around during the Beatle years.