Last Christmas

Last Christmas – Kate is coasting through life, making one bad decision after another. She avoids her family, sleeps with strangers and isn’t exactly a model employee as an elf in an over-the-top Christmas shop. However, when she meets the strange but likeable Tom, she begins to see life differently. His wide-eyed, fun loving nature might be the thing to bring her round to the person she truly wants to be but when he starts to disappear for days on end, will their blossoming relationship last beyond the Christmas season? 

Last Christmas (2019) – Director: Paul Fieg

Rating: 12

Running Length: 103 mins

Starring: Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh 

Genre: Christmas, Romance

REVIEW: ‘LAST CHRISTMAS’

Christmas is once again upon us and with that comes a plethora of festive movies to satiate all tastes. Of course there are countless kids films for younger family members but when it comes to more adult stories, Christmas romance is hugely popular. So, how does a movie such as this stand out from the crowd? Well, honestly a large part is due to the casting – there are too many TV movies that, unless you’re a Christmas romance fanatic, many viewers will automatically discount them but, when you have Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) as the lead, people take notice. With that, new leading man Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians) and a host of big supporting stars (Michelle Yeoh being a particularly likeable character), this is a movie that would have to work hard not to be a hit.

So, is the popularity of ‘Last Christmas’ warranted? Well, yes! What could easily be a schmaltzy and twee story is quirky and fun in the best possible ways. Clarke’s performance as Kate – a somewhat car crash of a character – makes her extremely likeable despite her inability to make good decisions and Golding (as love interest, Tom) effortlessly  brings about a mixture of realism and whimsy which in lesser hands would be irritating. As you might have guessed with the title of the movie, ‘Last Christmas’ is only one of a backdrop of George Michael songs in the film’s soundtrack, a plot point which is disappointingly underused. Kate has an old sticker on her battered suitcase which says ‘I heart George Michael’ and she sings a couple of his songs but otherwise, her love of the singer is barely mentioned. However, what we are left with is a soundtrack of great music which is hardly a problem!

Without giving away any spoilers, I only knew the title and name of the movie so the narrative swerved into unexpected territory for me and my goodness, did it work! As someone who has little interest in romantic movies, ‘Last Christmas’ has quickly become a film I will recommend to anyone.

CONTENT: IS ‘LAST CHRISTMAS’ SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?

Kate starts talking to a man in a bar, she mentions that she is currently homeless, having just moved out of her previous home. The man suggests that she go back to her parents house so she sarcastically says ‘Kill me now!’ to indicate her reluctance to go back. As the man is clearly interested in her, he offers his place. The camera then cuts to her in his bed the next morning, seemingly naked, her bare shoulders are shown.

Kate takes a shower at the man’s house (she is only seen from the shoulders up) and a woman suddenly walks in on her. She is shocked and covers herself but the woman is angry. She asks her ‘Did you shag him?’. Kate is then unceremoniously thrown out of the house (fully dressed) and yells a curse word.

A flashback shows Kate absent-mindedly putting her hairdryer into a large fish tank. There is a big spark and a dead lion fish floats upside down to the top of the water.

While Kate is staying with friends, she goes out and the next morning she sneaks a man out of her bedroom.

Kate’s mum starts unpacking Kate’s suitcase, she holds up a negligee and says ‘This is naughty!’

There is a scene where the words ‘d*ck’ and ‘penis’ are said repeatedly.

A woman sings a song about a woman in a quarry ‘on her back….with her legs open wide’.

There is a death that affects another character deeply.

A woman makes a dessert for her partner’s family and the mother calls it a ‘lesbian pudding’ without meaning to cause offense.

CAN I SEE A CLIP?

VERDICT: IS ‘LAST CHRISTMAS’ FOR KIDS?

‘Last Christmas’ is a lovely film about a woman who gets the push she needs to turn her life around in the most fun ways possible. It’s not always laugh out loud funny but you’ll find there there’s a warm smile on your face throughout. Due to a lot of cursing and Kate having numerous sexual flings, we recommend this movie for kids aged 12 and over.

• Violence: 0/5
• Emotional Distress: 3/5 (a character ‘outs’ another by talking about her girlfriend in front of her parents. The death is sad)
• Fear Factor: 0/5
• Sexual Content: 4/5 (no nudity and minimal sexual dialogue but Kate’s conquests are dealt with very casually)
• Bad Language: 4/5 (frequent moderate cursing throughout)
• Dialogue: 3/5
• Other Notes: Deals with themes of love, not knowing your place in the world, being an immigrant, being open to new experiences, accepting the consequences of your actions and seeing the beauty in the world.

Words by Laura Record