Movie Review: 'Last Christmas'

“Last Christmas,” which came out on Nov. 8, tells the story of Kate (Emilia Clarke) and Tom (Henry Golding) and is based on the George Michael song of the same name. Set in London at Christmastime, it centers around the progression of the main couple’s relationship and personal problems, while leading up to a twist ending.

The main couple, played by Clarke and Golding, have very good chemistry, relying on a sweet and gentle dynamic. It clicks right away and they’re able to be themselves.

The secondary couple, played by Michelle Yeoh and Peter Mygind, provide a nice foil and succeed at being comic relief. Kate’s mother (Emma Thompson) steals the show at times, handling the role of “overbearing mother” very well.

The film is scored by both George Michael music and various other Christmas songs. At the end, an upbeat version of the movie’s namesake plays, capping it perfectly. Those inclusions are so good, in fact, that you’d wish some cues would last a little longer. At the beginning of the film, a song would start and end very quickly. Give the audience a chance to enjoy these classics. By the end, the movie corrects this issue, allowing you to settle into the scenes a bit more.

All in all, the writing of “Last Christmas” was very funny and lighthearted when it needed to be, while the drama contrasted enough to still hit home. They also managed to slip in social problems such as Brexit and England’s reaction to Yugoslavian immigrants. It also seemed like they deliberately wrote in people of color as leads in the film, along with several interracial relationships.

However, for a movie called “Last Christmas,” the holiday theme seemed pretty nonessential. Also, the film was written in such a way that audiences could be dissatisfied with how the lead couple’s relationship plays out. Also, it left room for at least one pretty major plot hole.
“Last Christmas” was a cute, but ultimately just decent film. Each element, such as the acting, soundtrack and shot composition was good enough as a whole that it made up for anything lacking in the writing.

I would still suggest it to any hopeless romantic comedy fan.

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