I love Christmas! And I think I can safely say I love the romantic comedy genre… sometimes. So tickle me happy when a new romantic comedy based around Christmas, starring my favorite Queen of the Dragon’s actress, Emilia Clarke (I also love Game of Thrones), will be released this season. Ignoring all the other possible high quality award season films released this week, I asked my wife (I love my wife!) if she would like to get a sitter and go on a movie date. My wife loves all the ridiculously dorky lifetime/hallmark Christmas movies that come out this time of year. Of course, the answer was a resounding, YES! Inspired by George Michael’s popular holiday tune (I didn’t realize this, but I sorta love a lot of George Michael music!), LAST CHRISTMAS is somewhat predictably dumb… but it is also adorably dumb.
LAST CHRISTMAS follows frustratingly irresponsible Kate (Clarke), who consistently makes terrible decisions with selfish motives. Kate works as an elf and is the only employee for her boss, aptly named Santa (Michelle Yeoh), at a year round Christmas shop in London. Kate drinks excessively, goes home with strange men, and can’t seem to maintain a place to stay. She has a strained relationship with her family and doesn’t respect the space of her friends who so kindly put her up for a night. Things go from bad to worse when Kate forgets to lock-up the store as she is rushing to another hopeless audition. However, things begin to change when Kate meets a kind gentleman, Tom (Henry Golding), who tends to have a positive and helpful outlook on life, constantly reminding her to, “look up.”
One of the problems with LAST CHRISTMAS, is the unhealthy decision-making by Kate. Yes, it is important to have the character with problems be able to make a change for the better. Perhaps I identify with the people in Kate’s life all too well as they deal with her lack of consideration. To be honest, I am more interested in the supporting characters and their ability to be so forgiving more so than our heroine. It’s a testament to the joyful, likability of Emilia Clarke that she is able to pull off the character in a way that we still root and care for her. Judging by her performance in this and 2016’s ME BEFORE YOU, Clarke should have a long successful career in this type of genre. To be fair, it’s that type of charisma in people who act like her character that tends to endear them to others. She isn’t malicious, Kate wants to be good, she is simply unaware of her selfishness.
While some of Kate’s poor decisions can be frustrating, there is plenty of light humor and silliness to keep the story gleefully moving along. Henry Golding (CRAZY RICH ASIANS) is perfect. I found myself drawn to every inspiring, upbeat, sincere moment he was on screen. I appreciate the wholesome way in which he is portrayed, because I think women need to see that there is a high standard in their mate worth expecting and for men to know we need to be better.
Directed by Paul Feig (BRIDESMAIDS) and a story and screenplay co-written by Emma Thompson (along with her husband Greg Wise and Bryony Kimmings), LAST CHRISTMAS has a lot of wonderful elements. I only wish all these elements were in a slightly better film. Ultimately there are enough good things in LAST CHRISTMAS that make it worth seeing. Not everything works, but it feels like it should. There are a couple of wonderfully surly police women, an over-the-top love story between Santa (not the real Santa but Kate’s boss) and a mysterious googly-eyed stranger, incredible supporting work by everyone, including Emma Thompson as Kate’s mother (I love Emma Thompson!), a fantastic leading duo with charming chemistry, Christmas, a sense of magic with thematic purpose about being a better person for others, and of course an energized soundtrack that plays nearly entirely music by George Michael or Wham!
Definitely a step up from the Hallmark channel (but on the same staircase), LAST CHRISTMAS is geared to those who love all the delightful things I’ve just mentioned. Because if you are not at all a fan of some of these key items (Christmas, George Michael music, schmaltzy romantic comedies), you probably have some internal issues worth examining but you also probably should avoid LAST CHRISTMAS like Santa’s naughty list.
LAST CHRISTMAS will never make the seasonal rotation list, but it might briefly satisfy that holiday itch for those who love the genre. While I may not have been impressed by the typical big happy speech toward the end, I admittedly was won over by a certain predictable reveal. Sure I rolled my eyes at first, but as the scene progressed, water somehow found its way out of those same high-raised eyeballs, which began intently and wetly sobbing at the screen… and I knew it was coming the entire time! Did I mention, I love dumb adorable romantic comedies?
