I love films that help you regain your trust in humanity, but it is especially rewarding when films are centered on Christmas. What do we get when the Mother of Dragons (Emilia Clarke) takes on the holidays in the 2019 film, Last Christmas? Let’s check out this little gem and see if it’s Christmas stocking worthy.
Plot
Last Christmas is a romantic comedy directed by Paul Feig. Emma Thompson, who is also in the film, wrote this story with Bryony Kimmings. It is based on the song by Wham and stars Henry Golding, Lydia Leonard, Michelle Yeoh, Madison Ingoldsby, Patti LuPone, and Boris Isakovic.
Katarina Andrich (Emilia Clarke) is an aspiring singer who works as an elf in a year-round Christmas shop in London. Her boss, who calls herself Santa (Michele Yeoh), tolerates Katarina’s half-hearted attempts at playing the shop’s elf. Katarina is the complete opposite of Will Ferrell’s Elf.
Katarina is reckless with her life and behaves in a careless, and self-centered way, which might be due to a heart transplant she had a year early. Katrina has not kept her doctor’s appointments and she has been drinking heavily which concerns her parents, Petra (Emma Thompson) and Ivan (Boris Isakovic). We get the impression that Katarina has this death wish because of her behavior. After getting tossed out of her apartment by her roommates, Katarina is forced to move back home.
Katarina is often late to work, careless about her health, and most importantly, careless about other people. Katarina is an accident waiting to happen, when suddenly out of the blue she bumps into Tom (Henry Golding) a mysterious stranger. Tom shows Katarina the hidden treasures of life that she is usually too self-absorbed to notice. Tom eventually encourages Katarina to volunteer at the homeless shelter. Katarina is in love, but Tom is hard to pin down. He comes and goes, sometimes appearing out of nowhere, which infuriates Katarina. We wonder what Tom’s motives are. What is his secret, and what does it have to do with Katarina?
Conclusion and SPOILER
There is a sharp divide between the people who loved Last Christmas and the people who considered this film equivalent to sugary trash. I happen to be someone who loved the film. I love watching anything that Emilia Clarke is in.
Last Christmas is fun, and its message is about the magic of giving. And although I didn’t expect the ending (it has to do with Katarina’s surgery) it made sense to this old ghost investigator. Last Christmas, in my opinion, is the perfect Christmas stocking filler. It may be lacking in dragons, but it makes up for it with heart…lots of heart.
You can buy it on Blu-ray here. Extras include:
Includes Blu-ray and a digital copy of Last Christmas (Subject to expiration. Go to NBCUCodes.com for details.)
Alternate Ending
Blooper ReelDeleted/Alternate/Extended Scenes
Alternate Opening
“Last Christmas” – Full Performance
Director in Vision
It’s All So Cold
Try Not To Laugh
A Legacy Revealed
Pure Golding
Emilia Recording Session
Love Letter to London
Santa and Her Elf
Paul Feig Takes Over the Tram
12 Days of Production
Feature Commentary with Director Paul Feig
Feature Commentary with Director Paul Feig and Producer/Co-Writer Emma Thompson
You can order the Last Christmas soundtrack featuring the music of WHAM and George Michael here.
