The Last Christmas trailer landed in August and Redditors instantly caught on to the “huge plot twist” the trailer hinted at. Unfortunately, if the twist is what was promised, the film didn’t deliver.
On a surface level, Last Christmas is a heartwarming romantic comedy starring the beautiful Emilia Clarke. With a George Michael/Wham soundtrack, you can’t help but tap your feet and smile at the budding romance. The leading characters Clarke and Golding may not set the screen on fire, but they are easy to like. The movie remains charming – as long as you come to terms with the big reveal being more of a whimper than a bang.
Set in London, the movie follows a 26-year-old ex-pat from Yugoslavia. Kate is suffering from the trauma of a life-threatening operation, made worse by the fact that everyone keeps telling her she is “lucky” to be alive. Her story is in fact very similar to Clarke’s own battle following a life-threatening stroke.
Unlike Clarke, Kate does not feel lucky and leaves a messy trail of alcohol, junk food, and one night stands behind her. She is not happy in her job, and not happy in her life. She may have recovered physically from surgery, but is far from being at peace emotionally. Predictably, in comes Tom – the mysterious man that may just save the day. It’s a trope we are exhausted by but hey, it’s a Christmas movie.
The director Feig is known for lending quirky characters to his supporting cast. And in this, he does not disappoint. Character highlights include the argumentative police officers (Ingrid Oliver and Laura Evelyn) to Emma Thompson giving herself the best one-liners.
Overall, Last Christmas is a tale of a young woman that has survived trauma and needs to rebuild herself on an emotional and spiritual level. The refugee status of Kate’s family does add another level to her voyage of self-discovery, but ultimately, the exploration of the anti-immigrant sentiment does not have enough substance to really add value to the movie.
If you are looking for anything other than a boy-meets-girls during the festive season (with a great soundtrack), Last Christmas will likely disappoint. If this is exactly what you are after, you can watch Last Christmas in movie theaters now.
2.5/5
