Yesterday we saw Yesterday. NO SPOILERS FOLLOW. FEEL FREE TO READ ON.
You saw a preview for it somewhere at some point: Musician guy suffers a big head injury, wakes up to a world where The Beatles never happened, he puts out their music as his own and becomes a sensation.
That's a minimalist description for a deep and deeply enjoyable film. If you're a big Beatles fan like I am and the thought of someone stealing their music turned you off from seeing the movie...get over that and go.
The story's solid and the performances are strong from every actor in it. The Beloved Kim noticed at one point that the female lead was portrayed by the younger Donna from the Mamma Mia sequel. Kate McKinnon -- whom I've become a big fan of in the last year -- is great as the manager. And watching the star of the film struggle to remember the words to some of the more esoteric selections was great.
The movie took a dramatic turn near the end, and it literally made me cry. That's two films that have done that to me this year ("I'mma get you all the cheeseburgers you want..."). It's a simple little scene at a simple little place along the shore. That's all I'm going to say. You'll know it when you see it.
Some movies surprise you by being good when you expected them to suck. This one looked really good and struck a musical and cultural nerve. It's worth your time if you've ever loved a Beatles song, or any song, really.
STATUS REPORT
I'm 37 pages into A Thing. I am not ready to share anything else about The Thing, lest I jinx it. I've become a very superstitious writer in the last few years.
I've read Mary Shelley: Monster Hunter recently and enjoyed it. I'm listening to a lot of Springsteen and Hair Metal bands in the car.
Current podcast obsession: Blackout, a fictional story starring Academy Award Winner Rami Malek. Excellent story and production, so far. Three episodes in.
Bye for now. Be good to one another and make sure you memorize Eleanor Rigby.