Last Christmas
LAST CHRISTMAS (12)
D: Paul Feig
Universal/Calamity/Perfect World (Paul Feig, Jessie Henderson, David Livingstone & Emma Thompson)
UK/US 2019
103 mins
Romance/Comedy
W: Emma Thompson & Bryony Kimmings [inspired by the song "Last Christmas" written by George Michael]
DP: John Schwartzman
Ed: Brent White
Mus: Theodore Shapiro
Emilia Clarke (Kate), Henry Golding (Tom), Michelle Yeoh (Santa), Emma Thompson (Petra), Lydia Leonard (Marta)
Inspired by the song by George Michael, this movie claims to be, except it would be more accurate to say it's inspired by one line from the lyrics of the song. The film is also filled with a handful of other George Michael songs, as though this film is meant as some sort of tribute to him (George Michael's death was on Christmas Day in 2016).
The cookie cutter plot sees Bridget Jones clone Kate, the promiscuous and alcoholic daughter of immigrants from former Yugoslavia, going about her mundane day-to-day life working in a Christmas shop during the day and getting blind drunk and shagging as many guys as she can by night, in-between couch hopping and taking the piss out of her friends' hospitality. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she meets Tom Webster, a dashingly handsome and mysterious man who is so saintly, he may as well be her guardian angel.
It's fair to say that I wasn't a fan of this film. It was so derivatively cliched and contrived, with a twist that could be spotted a mile off and a hideously miscast lead performance, that I really didn't care about what happens to this character.
Not to prevent a yuletide romance from stopping her political affiliations, luvvie Emma Thompson also has to cram an anti-Brexit message into the film as well for good measure, as it's what George would have wanted.
I like George Michael's music, and have most of his albums, but this film just isn't for me. I can't call it a bad movie, since it proved to be so popular that it made an absolute fortune at the box office, especially on British shores. Like the majority of Wham's music, it's just bubblegum pop.
5/10
