Last Christmas follows Emilia Clarke’s Kate, a former singer turned elf-employee at a year-round Christmas store in London. After a heart transplant leaves her distancing herself even further from her family, she becomes the last person you’d expect to be willing to dress as an elf every-day. But after meeting the mysterious Tom (Henry Golding), and in falling for him, something begins to change – but as always – not everything as is as it seems around Christmas-time.
If you’re not in the Christmas mood just yet, I’m now a strong advocate that Last Christmas will get you there…
If you’ve heard anything about Last Christmas, it's probably the music and that song. Yes; the music of George Michael was a big part of their marketing, but it really shouldn’t have been. The bridges between song and plot are tenuous and almost too easy (Kate wakes up to Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go) – the only song that actually feels like it plays a part in the plot is Last Christmas. Yes; some trailers gave too much away (Director Paul Feig has admitted he regrets this, thank goodness) – but if you’re not in the Christmas mood just yet, I’m now a strong advocate that Last Christmas will get you there…
To be totally honest – Kate’s transformation had me in bits, like the Grinch’s heart growing three times its size. Her sarcasm goes from brutally funny to so harsh that you’ll be in tears (I spent roughly the last half hour of the film crying). It isn’t a perfect film by any means, but the chemistry between Clarke and Goulding, Emma Thompson’s overprotective mother, and Michelle Yeoh as “Santa” (the brilliantly named owner of the Christmas) shop, are perfect. It might be rough around the edges, but Last Christmas has well and truly won my heart, and if you have Faith, it might just Heal The Pain of those mid-term deadlines…
Rating: 4/5
