One could be forgiven for not having heard of Jack Malik. He’s a musician who sings his own songs. He has a loyal fan base of his manager and a few friends, but that’s it. He has absolutely no chance of becoming famous. It’s frustrating because he really believes that he could.
Just when he’s about to give up, Jack is hit by a bus during a blackout. When he gets out of the hospital, he comes to find out that no one knows who the Beatles are. Everyone knows who the Beatles are. Except that no one does. He goes home and finds no references to the band. (Searching for The Beatles brings up the insects.)
This presents an incredible opportunity. Since no one has heard of any of their songs, Jack could pass them off as his own. Since they were never published, copyright wouldn’t be an issue, No one would know. So, that’s what he does. He records a few of the songs that he can remember and waits. And he waits.
Again, despair sets in. Maybe he really is a crappy artist. He can’t even get attention with songs that got lots of attention. To be fair, context does matter. The actual song is as important as who is singing it. When it’s released also has an effect. Songs released 50 years ago won’t have the same impact on modern audiences. This is why it’s surprising that the songs do attract attention.
Ed Sheeran invites Jack to go on tour. This leads to the long-awaited contract, which leads to the inevitable guilt. Remember when I said no one would know? Jack knows. He comes to realize that he’ll always be waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I came into the movie expecting it to be like Bohemian Rhapsody, and in a way, it is. The movie showcases the music of The Beatles, but does so in a much different way. Everyone has that moment when they think no one would know, but Jack has no way of knowing what caused John, Paul, George and Ringo to not form a band. It’s possible that the music was written, but never released. It’s possible that one or all of the band members were never born or that they simply never met each other. Some version of the songs might exist out there.
On the one hand, the movie is enjoyable. I think most people can relate to someone who wants to make it big. Those that try and don’t make it often question how someone else made it. As both a comedy and a fantasy, the movie would have us believe that Jack can make the songs work. Yes, they’re great songs, but it is a bit odd that it just happens.
It’s also odd that so much of the alternate universe is the same. Cigarettes and Coca-Cola don’t exist, but it’s never really explained why. (A search for Coke turns up Pablo Escobar.) However, there are no small differences to drive Jack mad. There are no restaurants on the wrong side of the street. The Eiffel Tower isn’t in Germany instead of France or known by some other name. I suppose that’s just as well. Many movies and TV shows have stated that stuff like this is done for simplicity. Focusing on too many extraneous details can make the movie drag.
Given that the movie has a plot, it’s going to have much broader appeal than Bohemian Rhapsody. The movie focuses more on Jack’s journey and his ethical dilemma, which it does well. The script isn’t heavy-handed with it. It’s exactly the kind of movie you could reference to show the difference between legal and ethical. There are also shades of grey.
His other options are to be honest all along or to not release the music and go about his life. If he’s honest, people would think he’s crazy. If he remains silent, the world is denied some beautiful music. But, if you do release the music, how do you do it? You could credit the music to the right people, but they may not exist. And if they do, they would have no memory of having written it. So, there is some room for discussion. I think this is really where the movie works best.
Just when he’s about to give up, Jack is hit by a bus during a blackout. When he gets out of the hospital, he comes to find out that no one knows who the Beatles are. Everyone knows who the Beatles are. Except that no one does. He goes home and finds no references to the band. (Searching for The Beatles brings up the insects.)
This presents an incredible opportunity. Since no one has heard of any of their songs, Jack could pass them off as his own. Since they were never published, copyright wouldn’t be an issue, No one would know. So, that’s what he does. He records a few of the songs that he can remember and waits. And he waits.
Again, despair sets in. Maybe he really is a crappy artist. He can’t even get attention with songs that got lots of attention. To be fair, context does matter. The actual song is as important as who is singing it. When it’s released also has an effect. Songs released 50 years ago won’t have the same impact on modern audiences. This is why it’s surprising that the songs do attract attention.
Ed Sheeran invites Jack to go on tour. This leads to the long-awaited contract, which leads to the inevitable guilt. Remember when I said no one would know? Jack knows. He comes to realize that he’ll always be waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I came into the movie expecting it to be like Bohemian Rhapsody, and in a way, it is. The movie showcases the music of The Beatles, but does so in a much different way. Everyone has that moment when they think no one would know, but Jack has no way of knowing what caused John, Paul, George and Ringo to not form a band. It’s possible that the music was written, but never released. It’s possible that one or all of the band members were never born or that they simply never met each other. Some version of the songs might exist out there.
On the one hand, the movie is enjoyable. I think most people can relate to someone who wants to make it big. Those that try and don’t make it often question how someone else made it. As both a comedy and a fantasy, the movie would have us believe that Jack can make the songs work. Yes, they’re great songs, but it is a bit odd that it just happens.
It’s also odd that so much of the alternate universe is the same. Cigarettes and Coca-Cola don’t exist, but it’s never really explained why. (A search for Coke turns up Pablo Escobar.) However, there are no small differences to drive Jack mad. There are no restaurants on the wrong side of the street. The Eiffel Tower isn’t in Germany instead of France or known by some other name. I suppose that’s just as well. Many movies and TV shows have stated that stuff like this is done for simplicity. Focusing on too many extraneous details can make the movie drag.
Given that the movie has a plot, it’s going to have much broader appeal than Bohemian Rhapsody. The movie focuses more on Jack’s journey and his ethical dilemma, which it does well. The script isn’t heavy-handed with it. It’s exactly the kind of movie you could reference to show the difference between legal and ethical. There are also shades of grey.
His other options are to be honest all along or to not release the music and go about his life. If he’s honest, people would think he’s crazy. If he remains silent, the world is denied some beautiful music. But, if you do release the music, how do you do it? You could credit the music to the right people, but they may not exist. And if they do, they would have no memory of having written it. So, there is some room for discussion. I think this is really where the movie works best.
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