written by Justin Prince (@prince_justin)

The first wave of Holiday romance flicks makes the rounds with a Charming British romcom starring Emilia Clark (Game of Thrones) and Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians) as the hapless cynic Kate and the wide-eyed wonderer Tom. To call Kate a mess would be an understatement, a down on her luck singer with dreams of headlining a stage but instead works in a shop where it’s literally Christmas year round. Kate’s hard loving with a heart of gold boss Santa, played by Michelle Yeoh, is just one of many on a list of people who worry about Kate while also are at their wit's end with her.

Of course, this mess of a lost soul comes across the perpetually upbeat Tom. He’s like a breath of fresh air, and seemingly enters her life at the perfect moment when she needed someone like him the most.

If I had to sum up Last Christmas as briefly as possible, it’s a jukebox redemption story full of George Michael’s music. I mean, it is aptly named after the famous George Michael song. Kate’s in a funk, she once was vibrant and full of life, but when her illness resulted in a full on heart transplant, she physically recovered but never truly recovered from that ordeal. This strained her relationships across all channels, from alienating her family to couch surfing… and subsequently being kicked off the couches… of the friends she relied on, but also pushed to their limits when it comes to dealing with her. From accidentally lighting a model boat on fire to killing a rare pet fish, Kate leaves a messy trail behind her.

Of course, it’s through Tom we get to see her change, and it’s through her growing affection for him that she begins to repair some of the ties she’s tried to sever… and to find her way back to the person she was before the transplant. I don’t know how credible Kate’s condition really is, she says that when they put a new heart in her chest a part of her died with her old heart. Psychologically, something switched in her and that affected the relationships in her life. I can understand how the trauma of surgery can leave some lasting impressions, so this doesn’t seem too far outside the realm of possibility.

What I did enjoy the most was the chemistry between both Kate and Tom. While early on in the film Kate alienates most of the people in her life, it’s when she’s with Tom that you can physically see her light up. From a simple walk, showing Kate much of the city she’s never paid attention to before… or sharing a beautiful park all lit up with Christmas lights, a personal spot that Tom loves. Even when Tom begins ghosting Kate, she can’t help but look for him outside the shop windows… and even when it has been days she lights up when she sees him. Tom is sweet, charming, and genuinely does want to help her. As these changes in Kate begin to make their way to the rest of the people in her life, helping to strengthen the relationship with her boss to repairing uncomfortable rifts in her family, little by little Kate is finding her way back.

While the film works, it wasn’t by any stretch of the imagination perfect. I can’t see this dethroning my current Christmas romcom (Love Actually) anytime soon, but it will be something I’ll watch I think at least once a year. While I won’t spoil the big twist for you, honestly I saw it a mile away… in fact I saw it in the trailer. It isn’t subtle but I don’t feel like that detracts from to film overall. It does suffer a bit from pacing, with Tom’s ghosting of Kate never feeling as concrete as it was laid out. To Kate, it’s been days, but the passage of time isn’t felt… or at least played out on screen in a clear manner.

Though light… Last Christmas also tackles themes of xenophobia, taking place during Brexit and in one scene showing a particularly angry chap upset when someone is speaking a foreign language. I am glad it didn’t delve too far into this territory, instead relying on Kate’s mother to provide the anxiety of being an immigrant.

I felt that Last Christmas works by employing the tried and true trope that people can change during the holidays. It isn’t entirely feasible at all times, and I wonder how this can work in the real world, but it’s a charming fantasy to have… at least for the runtime of a movie.

To be honest, I really enjoyed my time with Last Christmas. I felt like the leads had excellent chemistry, the overarching story is warm and full of hope, it’s pretty much like the store Michelle Yeoh’s character runs… it’s just full of Christmas. Unless you’re an absolute grinch, I hope you too can find something to love in this charming though imperfect holiday romcom.

C+

By the numbers, but still a charming good time