Last Christmas
3/4
Starring: Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Emma Thompson
Rated PG-13 for Language and Sexual Content
"Last Christmas" is a bit different than the trailers would have you think. The film is being marketed as a Christmas-themed romantic comedy, but that's not exactly true. That's part of it, sure, but it's more than that. Instead, this is a little like "Brittany Runs a Marathon," although it's broader and happier. The conflict is about a party girl growing up and realizing that generosity and hard work can lead to true happiness.
Kate (Clarke) is a young party girl with aspirations of a singing career, although she tends to freeze up at auditions. When she's not bungling her chance for stardom or getting drunk and sleeping with whoever will give her a bed for the night, she's working at a Christmas-themed store for a woman who calls herself Santa (Yeoh). But Kate's life is a disaster. Through bad luck or thoughtlessness, everything Kate does turns into a disaster. Then she meets a charming man named Tom (Golding) who, inexplicably, takes a liking to her. He's handsome and kind, and listens to her with empathy and encourages her to follow her dreams and become a better person. But he has a tendency to disappear for days on end and doesn't reveal much about himself. So the question is: who is this mysterious stranger?
This film is all about Emilia Clarke, best known for playing Daenerys Targaryen on the recently concluded "Game of Thrones." Like Brittany from the earlier film, she's selfish and immature. But she has given up on fighting the forces in her life that bring her down. For her, Tom's simple kindness and lack of judgment are a way for her to vent and get advice. She's quite good here. As Tom, Henry Golding shows that "Crazy Rich Asians" was no fluke. He is instantly lovable and sports a flawless British accent (he's certainly more appealing than Robert Pattinson or Taylor Lautner). Golding is well on his way to becoming the male Meg Ryan for the new millennium. He and Clarke make a great couple, and the chemistry between them is going to leave even the most hardened cynic feel warm and fuzzy. The main support is provided by a virtually unrecognizable Emma Thompson (who also wrote the screenplay) as Kate's high-strung mother and Michelle Yeoh, whose Santa is unfortunately written on the level of a TV sitcom or a Hallmark movie.
"Last Christmas" is manipulative, as movies like this often are. But it's done well. Despite the presence of Paul Feig behind the camera, this isn't a comedy. There are some laughs, but anyone expecting "Bridesmaids" is going to be disappointed. I also have misgivings about the final act. Should a holiday movie like this have such a heart-wrenching twist? It is foreshadowed in a way and Feig navigates the tricky plot development with ease, but does it fit? I'm not sure. I also didn't like how it arrives at the end credits. The film provides closure, but not an ending. It just stops. Not a very satisfying way to end a charmer of a movie.
Still, for those in the mood for a holiday tearjerker, it fits the bill.
Starring: Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Emma Thompson
Rated PG-13 for Language and Sexual Content
"Last Christmas" is a bit different than the trailers would have you think. The film is being marketed as a Christmas-themed romantic comedy, but that's not exactly true. That's part of it, sure, but it's more than that. Instead, this is a little like "Brittany Runs a Marathon," although it's broader and happier. The conflict is about a party girl growing up and realizing that generosity and hard work can lead to true happiness.
Kate (Clarke) is a young party girl with aspirations of a singing career, although she tends to freeze up at auditions. When she's not bungling her chance for stardom or getting drunk and sleeping with whoever will give her a bed for the night, she's working at a Christmas-themed store for a woman who calls herself Santa (Yeoh). But Kate's life is a disaster. Through bad luck or thoughtlessness, everything Kate does turns into a disaster. Then she meets a charming man named Tom (Golding) who, inexplicably, takes a liking to her. He's handsome and kind, and listens to her with empathy and encourages her to follow her dreams and become a better person. But he has a tendency to disappear for days on end and doesn't reveal much about himself. So the question is: who is this mysterious stranger?
This film is all about Emilia Clarke, best known for playing Daenerys Targaryen on the recently concluded "Game of Thrones." Like Brittany from the earlier film, she's selfish and immature. But she has given up on fighting the forces in her life that bring her down. For her, Tom's simple kindness and lack of judgment are a way for her to vent and get advice. She's quite good here. As Tom, Henry Golding shows that "Crazy Rich Asians" was no fluke. He is instantly lovable and sports a flawless British accent (he's certainly more appealing than Robert Pattinson or Taylor Lautner). Golding is well on his way to becoming the male Meg Ryan for the new millennium. He and Clarke make a great couple, and the chemistry between them is going to leave even the most hardened cynic feel warm and fuzzy. The main support is provided by a virtually unrecognizable Emma Thompson (who also wrote the screenplay) as Kate's high-strung mother and Michelle Yeoh, whose Santa is unfortunately written on the level of a TV sitcom or a Hallmark movie.
"Last Christmas" is manipulative, as movies like this often are. But it's done well. Despite the presence of Paul Feig behind the camera, this isn't a comedy. There are some laughs, but anyone expecting "Bridesmaids" is going to be disappointed. I also have misgivings about the final act. Should a holiday movie like this have such a heart-wrenching twist? It is foreshadowed in a way and Feig navigates the tricky plot development with ease, but does it fit? I'm not sure. I also didn't like how it arrives at the end credits. The film provides closure, but not an ending. It just stops. Not a very satisfying way to end a charmer of a movie.
Still, for those in the mood for a holiday tearjerker, it fits the bill.
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