Danny Boyle

I worried the cute premise would be delivered without invention, essentially beating a joke to its death. The script actually was clever in both the overall plot and in small details: the fact that not only The Beatles were forgotten, a simple example.

A more impressive example: the scene in which Jack plays "Let It Be" to his parents, "the first people in the world to hear it!" There's room for small jokes, including the running joke of listeners mis-remembering the line as "Leave It Be" or "Let Him Be". But also a very clever creation of what it must feel like for anyone creating something and ensuing frustration when the wonder and satisfaction of the resulting efforts aren't perceived or shared by others. The film assumes the viewer brings in personal appreciation of the song, a safe assumption since it's widely admired as a great pop song and likely that many if not most viewers are Beatles fans. It follows the viewer shares Jack's frustration when his audience doesn't immediately react to the genius of the song, something not immediately true if the song were original to the movie, no matter how good it might be. This scene contrasts with an earlier, in which Jack's first-time singing of another Beatles classic is immediately appreciated by his audience. The viewer effectively merges into Jack's viewpoint in a powerful way, for which films (and novels) are justly celebrated.

While the romance is predictable and indeed, a tired trope ("You've had ten years to make your move", says the Girl to the Boy), the casting and acting breathe life into the characters.… (more)