Last Christmas

UK Release Date. 15 November 2019
Certification. 12A
Running Time. 1 hour 43 mins
Director. Paul Feig
Cast. Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Boris Isakovic, Lydia Leonard, Emma Thompson, Michelle Yeoh.
Rating. 49%

Review.

"Last Christmas, I gave you my heart. 

But the very next day, you gave it away. 

This year, to save me from tears, 

I'll give it to someone special."

The writers - Emma Thompson and her husband, Greg Wise [screenplay by Emma Thompson and Bryony Kimmings] - produced a film from the opening line of a Wham! song, literally.

Last Christmas stars Emilia Clarke as Kate, a young woman living in London and struggling to find purpose following a major health scare 12 months previous.

Emilia Clarke is the major plus point of Last Christmas. Kate is lost, in a seemingly inevitable destructive pattern of binge-drinking and one-night stands. She appears to have no fixed abode and is quickly running out of friend's sofas to crash on. Despite inherently self-centred, Clarke portrays Kate as an adorable mess; the young English actress' natural charisma shines through and there's no denying she's attractive, in a kind of former It-Girl fashion.

As the title suggests, the film is inspired by the songs of George Michael, in particular the 1984 hit, Last Christmas. But it is obvious that the beating heart of the film [apologies] is Michael's 1991 solo track, Heal The Pain.

The ambition of Last Christmas is a humble one. When Last Christmas doesn't steer towards social relevance and strives to be more than a feel-good festive romantic comedy, there are rare instances when a line or a moment lands. At this point, if the film has made you feel festive and embrace the Christmas schmaltz, then Last Christmas has succeeded.