Written by Oscar winning screenwriter Emma Thompson (who also does a fun, if campy, supporting turn in the film) and directed by Bridesmaids and Ghostbusters director Paul Feig, Last Christmas comes with more pedigree than it should. I went in expecting it might exceed it's genre's conventions however I quickly began to see that it wasn't going to. This is a full on celebration of cheesy holiday films rarely ever being more. This is for that audience and if you don't like those movies you won't like Last Christmas. If you do you can enjoy what turns out to be a rather funny film even if it is a bit silly.
Thompson's wit comes through a number of times. I couldn't help but find myself laughing. And with the film's twist, which I won't spoil, the film is less about falling in love solves all your problems, that the trailers make it appear. Also there is a bit of social commentary throughout as the film comments on anti-immigrant sentiment in the UK and the world. In these ways it ends up being more than just your usual holiday romcom.
The title comes from the fact the film uses the music of George Michael as a theme. I'm a huge fan so this added to the pleasure of the film for me, especially that he made a new song for the film before he died. However the film's choices of music often seem odd. The songs are sprinkled through with little to no relevance to the plot. Perhaps they were chosen more for their musical feel because most of the time the lyrics have nothing to do with where the plot is at narratively. This took me out of the film a bit, but once I had already realized the film was going to be schmaltzy it mattered less.
So if you want one of those light holiday feel good films, this one turns out to be a good one. You'll laugh, maybe you'll cry (I didn't). But just don't expect it to be much more than that. A little bit more, but not much.
Last Christmas
Starring: Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Michelle Yoeh, Emma Thompson
Director: Paul Feig
Writers: Emma Thompson, Bryony Kimmings
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