Last Christmas review by the Elf and Unicorn
Know Before You Go:
Movie: Last Christmas
Rating: PG-13
Age Suggestion: 13 +
Running Time: 1 hour 43 mins
Release Date: November 8th, 2019
Stars: 3 out of 5
Themes: Self identity, Compassion, Family, Life-altering events, Christmas
Warnings: Parents should be aware that there are some mature themes and that there is a lot of drinking and cursing. Might also be a trigger movie for anyone experiencing major health issues as the main character is recovering from a heart transplant.
Quick Summary:
Kate used to love being a Christmas elf, but her Christmas spirit has been crushed. Will her overbearing mother or her despair at the overwhelming-ness of life keep her down? Or will she be able to find a little bit of sparkle and Christmas cheer after all?
While not the typical holiday rom-com that was expected, Last Christmas is a sweet inspirational movie that’s perfect for a girls night out. And while there isn’t anything terribly funny in the movie, there also isn’t anything terribly objectionable- we would see it again.
Warning: SPOILERS beyond this point
Movie Discussion Questions:
- Did you see the big twist coming? If not, what did you think was going to happen?
- Have you recently been overwhelmed by the desire to have life all figured out? How do you cope with that?
- Did you like the ending?
- How do you see the positives about your family? About yourself?
- What do you do to make the little moments important? How do you like to help others?
Last Christmas Review:
***SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT***
Characters & Acting:
– Emma Thompson was great, as always, and we wish she would have gotten a better ending scene in the movie.
– Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding and Michelle Yeoh were all great leads in their own way!
– I bought all of the characters and their chemistry, I thought the cast worked together very well.
– We appreciated how the costumes (particularly Emilia Clarkes) really helped the viewer stay with the plot. You could tell when she was in a bad place mentally and when she was in a better space simply by looking at her costume and make-up, even though it was the same thing she was wearing two scenes before.
Script & Story:
– There were some plot issues. Overall we felt like they were trying to cram in one too many things. We really did not need to see character development for every one of the background characters. One of the romances felt out of place. There were a couple of points that seemed to be added just to be politically correct, or to add another moral lesson, that did not really fit in with the main point which made the story seem a little disjointed.
-They could have brought together the pieces in a smoother storyline, but it was still a good story and enjoyable watch overall.
-We really appreciated that the movie stayed true to the message it was trying to send through the main character. We are all lucky to be alive and the little things we do are important and matter. In the end, Kate didn’t get the leading role, didn’t get the guy, and has a dysfunctional family- but she’s still grateful. She learns that the small decisions she makes for herself, and for others, are the significant aspects of her life that she used to think were missing.
– The twist was a little jarring. I think this could have been a great Christmas rom-com and still made the same moral point about gratefulness without the sci-fi twist or political side points. I’m all for lighthearted movies punching home important themes- but if you try to do that too much, you loose the emphasis on your main point. The ending could have been more joy-filled and focused on the thankfulness theme.
-The other thing I wanted to point out is that a positive mindset doesn’t replace the need for good counseling and Dr.’s- I don’t think the movie was trying to make that point, just that we can all work on being more grateful for our everyday lives. But it might feel implied to someone who is struggling with something similar to what Kate, Emilia Clarke, is struggling with.
Film Quality:
– The movie was pretty. There was some weak editing and one too many scenic, musical, transitions but the Christmas lights sure looked beautiful. The colors really popped and everything flowed really well visually.
-The only thing that popped out as distracting to me during the movie was the soundtrack. It felt like one of the producers said ‘we paid a lot to be able to use these George Michael songs and especially the new one! We must use them throughout the entire film!!’ Really, it only made sense in the beginning of the movie, after that it just felt out of place and distracting with the Christmas background.
Favorite Moments:
-The relationship between Kate and Santa was by far the funniest and most endearing part of the movie. They were really great together.
-The ice rink scene was sweet, beautiful and fun. By far the closest scene this movie came to holiday Hallmark movie.
Final Thoughts:
While it was more drama than romantic comedy, Last Christmas is still a good holiday movie to go out and see with the girls. Reminding us that life is beautiful, not because of our defining moments, but because of the everyday blessings all around us. If we choose to look up enough to focus on them.
What to check out next:
-If you enjoyed our review of Last Christmas, you might enjoy our reviews with discussion questions for Downton Abbey, the Brene Brown Netflix Special, Maleficent, Overcomer & Breakthrough.
-You also might be interested in our article about Impostor Syndrome or 10 Questions to Ask the People You Live With Besides “How was your day?”.
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