'Last Christmas' - Cute and All-Embracing Christmas Movie

Paul Feig’s attempt to capture the style of a Richard Curtis British quirky rom-com is cute and all-embracing albeit a tad bit congested with themes which include Christmas, George Michael, and Brexit. With all of these, it's an understandably difficult thing to assemble and apart from these is the affair between Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding's characters with the latter being mysterious throughout the entirety of this rom-com. So Last Christmas is definitely not your ordinary flick and another reason why is it's penned by Emma Thompson, whose screenplay for this matches her latter efforts than her fresh voice during the '90s.

Photo: United International Pictures

Set in 2017 London where the city is decorated to follow the most wonderful time of the year, Last Christmas features George Michael and Wham!'s music with the titular song being its highlight. On one hand, it's a bit strange to associate Christmas with George Michael's discography. On the other, it's justifiable since the song 'Last Christmas' is one of the most iconic Christmas songs there is. The rest of the songs, not so much. But above all, it's one of the aptest titles of all time.

The film boasts of a great ensemble. Apart from Clarke and Golding, it includes Michelle Yeoh as Kate's (Emilia Clarke) boss who calls herself Santa in a Christmas items shop, and Thompson as Kate's Yugoslavian mother. With their decent, the film obviously adds right-wing demonstrations but it's added more for accessory more than its significance. It's Christmas and the season calls for inclusivity.

For what it's worth, the Christmas vibe is very much felt all throughout. It's just its other subplots that get lost in the whole spectacle. Everything is an ornament that nothing is fully fleshed-out. Even the whole Clarke-Golding is missing in moments and if not in moments, the momentum is always distracted with: 1) Kate's family dynamics, 2) Kate's self-identity as a woman living in the UK, and 3) the film's aim to be all-embracing in hopes to tackle Brexit. Last Christmas' heart is in the right place. Sadly, it's all over the place. Sounds right for Christmas, not much for a movie.