Directed by: Paul Feig
Starring: Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Emma Thompson, Michelle Yeoh, Lydia Leonard
Kate (Clarke) is an aspiring singer who has lost her zest for life. She had a heart transplant last Christmas, and this Christmas she is ducking her mother's calls, sleeping on a different couch every night, screws up at work, and has meaningless sex with random strangers. She may as well wear a t-shirt when she walks into auditions saying, "Please don't hire me," One day, she meets a handsome stranger named Tom (Golding). He is a nice guy, but something is off about him, and we can't put our finger on it until we can. Kate lowers her guard, lets the stranger into her heart, and maybe she can make this Christmas something special.
Last Christmas is charming, yes, but it isn't exactly what you'd expect. The trailers make you think Kate and Tom are mismatched souls who wind up embracing in the end on the way to happily ever after. Tom has a positive impact on Kate's life, so much so that she begins volunteering at a local homeless shelter where Tom works, which she would never dream of doing a few weeks ago. But, there is more, and Last Christmas isn't a run-of-the-mill romantic comedy.
George Michael's music, with the ubiquitous Last Christmas leading the way, is featured heavily in the movie. Thankfully, the cast doesn't break out into singing Faith or I Want Your Sex. It is part of the movie, but doesn't distract from the task at hand. Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding are both likable and vulnerable, and we care about them, which is the first step in making a worthwhile rom com. A subtext is the treatment of foreign-born people in post-Brexit England. Kate's parents are immigrants from the former Yugoslavia, and even after living many years in the UK, they are still affected by xenophobes.
Without giving away any spoilers, I can say with confidence that Last Christmas charmed me with its sweetness and its two leads, who we hope can find happiness in whichever way they can.
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