Last Christmas

Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding,

Emma Thompson, Michelle Yeoh

"Sometimes, You've just gotta have Faith"

Cinema 4, The Red Carpet @ Shang

For this Christmas themed movie, I dragged my parents along so we can get some of that much needed Yuletide spirit. It is difficult to feel Christmas-y when the sweat pours like crazy because unfortunately, we don't have winter in these parts of the globe.

This movie is based on Wham's or more specifically the late George Michael's hit 1984 song. Coincidentally, George Michael died on Christmas Day in 2016. Quite a shock which I still cannot fathom. Emma Thompson together with other writers wrote the script expanding on the essence of the song.

Emilia Clarke stars as Kate, a down on her luck, wanna be singer who works as an elf in a year round Christmas shop. Her employer, Santa (Michelle Yeoh), a dainty Asian who likes to spread Yuletide cheers in her shop full of wonderful trinkets. One day, bored Kate meets Tom (Henry Golding) loitering outside the shop and who always likes to look up. They tend to always bump into each other so they begin hanging out. He shows her his sanctuary, a small park within the bustling city. Together they discover the wonders of London, which is all decked up for the season to be jolly. He seems like a dream come true - a charming polite, good looking dude who gets around London on his bicycle and even volunteers at the homeless center.

As we discover more about Kate and her family composed of her mother Petra (Emma Thompson), her father Ivan who used to be a lawyer in their hometown, the now defunct Yugoslavia but drives a cab in London and her sister who hasn't come out yet to their parents. An air of mystery still surrounds Tom. We don't know his surname, his job, his family - nothing. 

Eventually, everything is revealed in a clever twist which really makes sense. It felt like a champagne bottle popping open, you know the shock and the little jerk you experience when you hear the cork bursting out of the bottle. LOL It does give justice to George Michael's lovely song about the heartbreak and anguish during Last Christmas.

The ensemble cast led by Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding are both delightful in their roles. It is always refreshing to watch Clarke being her cheerful self as opposed to her Khaleesi role in Game of Thrones. Henry Golding is still pleasant eye candy and does a good job, picking roles which suit his personality, the charming leading man role. Emma Thompson is a hoot, perfect as the overbearing mother, complete with the Eastern European accent.

The soundtrack features George Michael songs even one which was released after his untimely passing. The city of London in all its Yuletide finery provides an excellent backdrop. So much so that I wanted to fly to London, never mind the expense & the almost 15 hour flight. I understand the intention of the narration but it could use some editing especially where it gets too cheesy and when Petra became too domineering. 

I will still add Last Christmas to the list of my favorite Christmas movies. Mainly due to the believable chemistry between its lead stars and seeing wintry London during the most wonderful time of the year. 

P.S.

Love Actually is the top movie on my list.

P.P.S

I visited London in November 1995, mostly to watch West End plays.