My wife and I have an extraordinarily uncommon marriage. We defy the norms of what marriage should be and look like. Truth be told I honestly knew that it would be that way when we first met. Earlier this month, in our The Weather Man episode, I joked about my high school dating phase. Joking about how the shortest bachelor streak I had was a mere three weeks. In all of that dating, I developed a knack for romantic comedies. I wasn’t annoyed with them the way some guys are, I clung to them. Still to this day, I defend Just Friends with Ryan Reynolds and Amy Smart. When I met my wife and she found out about my weird love for the genre – she was a little less than thrilled. It’s worth noting that my wife absolutely hates “chick flicks” and rom-coms. She’s a die-hard Thanksgiving person as well. So do not even talk to her about Christmas before you cut the turkey. I’m the complete opposite way. Usually a Christmas movie finds its way into my eye sockets a week or so after Halloween.
Taking all of these parts together and you get the perfect storm of Last Christmas. Last Christmas tells the story of Kate (Emilia Clarke), a recent heart transparent survivor and borderline alcoholic, who meets Tom (Henry Golding) and experienced a renewed sense of life. Last Christmas is what would happen if April Ludgate had ever had the chance to write a rom-com. The humor is so well-crafted and subtle within the perimeters of the movie. Its dry delivery allows for the film to carry with it a unique identity – successfully separating itself from the plethora of other holiday films. The Christmas movie genre is a hard genre to stand out in. For the most part, Clarke and company, manage to stand out pretty successfully.
While the humor helps establish a distinctive identity for the rom-com, it falls victim to a paint-by-numbers plot. Even with the big “twist” in the end, the film still feels generic. Almost feels like the film is operating in both boring and charming in the same capacity. Trying to see who will win out in the end. Christmas has tons of charm. The chemistry of Clarke and Golding spells over to the challenge the notion of its formulaic plot. Clarke and Golding have terrific chemistry – each bringing a unique side of the coin. Clarke, with her dry wit and cynicism, and Golding, with his undeniable charm, prove that opposites attract.
In some ways, Last Christmas, feels a bit too forceful with its hand. While films like Yesterday and Blinded by the Light proved that we can produce films with full discographies of artists and good storytelling without venturing into biopic territory – Christmas falls severely flat. The film revolves around the music of 80s’ icon George Michael and his former band, WHAM! Though, there is little to no natural way of using the tunes the majority of the time. “Last Christmas” is overused so many times within the film, it loses its power by the film’s finale. Then, the political subplot of Brexit, makes the film question its identity. It feels forced and literally comes out of nowhere. Christmas can’t make up its’ mind whether or not, it’s a rom-com, George Michael musical or Christmas movie. It aims to be all of the above and in the end feels sloppy.
Overall, Last Christmas, is both charming and generic. The film is smart when it operates in its romantic comedy setting of smooth charm, good chemistry between leads in Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding and smart wit. Clarke and Golding have smooth chemistry that helps establish a unique film identity within the overabundance of Christmas movies. Though a large portion of that identity is smeared thanks to the film’s drunken habits. A forced political subplot and side stories weigh the film down a bit. Not to mention the over abundance of George Michael’s discography make the musical elements of the film feel forced and lackluster – almost invertedly ruining the film’s big finale. Hang up your stockings up, pour your co-co and wait for this one to hit blu-ray.
RORSCHACH RATING
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