Kate (Emilia Clarke) is clumsy in nearly every way. Quite literally Kate has a track record of walking into, tripping over, and breaking things in her path. However, even more than this, she has a record of sabotaging herself mentally, emotionally, and physically. While she is currently working as an elf in a small shop in London, Kate can see her future slipping away. Inspired by the George Michael song of the same name, Last Christmas is the story of Kate’s journey back to normality with the help of a new acquaintance, Tom (Henry Golding).
Last Christmas feels a bit different from other romantic comedies. While most others focus primarily on the romantic aspect of the film, Paul Feig’s Last Christmas is much more about the characters and the viewers becoming intimate with them. The romantic aspect of the film is not about a relationship between a man and woman, woman and woman, or anything other combination that you might be able to conjure up, but about the relationship that a person has with themselves. There are moments of great clarity sprinkled throughout the film that allow viewers to become comfortable with who they are.
There is something romantic about sitting on a park bench and analyzing the possibilities surrounding the others within your proximity. Fabricating a series of stories about who the people around you might be is relaxing and helps one come to terms with who they are as individuals. There is a beautiful scene, early in Last Christmas that sees both Kate and Tom speaking about the people sitting around them as if viewers were a part of the scene in question, those viewers feel great relief and tranquility.
Feig is a master of manipulating a story and its viewers, and he finds himself smoothly transitioning from place to place throughout the film. Last Christmas can be difficult to read from time to time, leaving viewers in the dark (sometimes without them even knowing), this is, of course, done deliberately. There is something hidden beneath the surface, and while this is noticed at different points throughout the film, the twist that comes near the end of the film is brilliant. The revelation pulls the story together and makes everything feel worth the wait.
Clarke is best known as The Mother of Dragons in the Home Box Office hit Game of Thrones. Seeing her in a different light can be incredibly difficult for viewers to swallow. However, a combination of things lead to viewers accepting her transition from Khaleesi to the edgy lead in a chick flick. Clarke is a wonderful actor and she is convincing in her portrayal of Kate, but there are other aspects of her character that are even more convincing and play a larger role in the character’s delivery. The hair and makeup departments change her look drastically from Game of Thrones, her interestingly reserved personality (in regard to her confidence) separates her from how viewers typically see her, and Golding’s Tom helps to balance out Kate throughout Last Christmas.
I’m not entirely sure that I would categorize Last Christmas as a Christmas film as it feels like an odd combination of a chick flick and mystery (and while the mystery very much pertains directly to Kate, it remains relevant nevertheless). Regardless of its designation, however, Last Christmas breaks the mold of what might typically be expected from a film involving romance. Feig is able to appeal to a wide variety of viewers with this recent, sure-to-be hit. Last Christmas is touching, edgy, and relatable, spelling out success for everyone involved.
Directed by Paul Feig. Written by George Michael, Emma Thompson, Greg Wise & Bryony Kimmings. Starring Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Emma Thompson, Lydia Leonard, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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