Last Christmas
-Spoilers because I can’t be bothered-
Sonia Hadj Said
There always has been, will be and should be a little dotted line between a cinema-goer and a professional film critic. Someone needs to tell us whether what we’re about to see is worth our time. If the acting is good. Does the story make sense… What does give one person the right to do it while others need to keep their opinions limited to conversations with friends?
It’s the fact that a newspaper will agree to print your opinion. Or how you wasted years of your life on arts degrees while others did things that would actually, in the end, pay some money. Which is why I am reserving this right to go against the tide and without shame, review Last Christmas.
My expectations set by country-wire reviews were so low, I only went to see Last Christmas to give my brain a rest. I was ready too, smuggling in a can of rose (classy, as ever), wondering if I would just fall asleep within the first five minutes. Shame on me.
Story of Kate (Katerina) was scrutinized as one of the worst Christmas movies yet so let’s examine. A young Londoner with immigrant parents who flew the Yugoslavian war works in all year round Christmas shop while pursuing dreams of being a singer. A job that was supposed to be part-time, became a full-time busy affair (don’t we know it?) somewhere along the way and isn’t the saddest thing about Kate’s life. She runs around London in an elf costume squatting on couches of friends who still let her in, and the number decreases as she just can’t get things right. With the Christmas coming closer and closer, Kate seems overwhelmed by some kind of panic, a painful experience, which turns out to be her almost dying. And she can’t deal with it. And maybe that’s understandable.
Of course, the help is coming in the shape of a mysterious young man who is so good and pure, so full of life, it should make me puke right into that pretty can of rose, but we’re not stupid. We know what’s happening there with Kate who is trying to hold on to dear life by following the steps of someone who quite literally, gave it to her the year before. This is a simple story of trying to find love for life again and it is so refreshing to have a Christmas movie that spears us the usual romance plots. So what’s wrong with it?
I’ve read reviews laughing at the fact that for such a troubled young woman, Kate looks too good and the only indication of her mental state is the dark eyeshadow. Now, I’m not sure how old reviewers are to forget that when you’re 27 you can still get away with quite a few things. Yes, you can drink and smoke and wake up four hours later looking at least okay. And Kate isn’t a destroyed drug addict, she just drinks a bit too much. I mean, the girl almost dies, jee, give her a break.
Kate’s family was also often described as a silly stereotype and Emma Thompson’s fake European accent offensive. Now, I have seen an offensive accent on screen. I have seen American actors speak Polish for no apparent reason than to piss some people off. And that was not one of the situations. It was silly, it was funny, it was sweet and it made me laugh, while finally giving some description into an immigrant family and their struggles of what it is like to be a lawyer there, have to move away and find yourself driving a cab for a living.
It talks about Brexit. It talks about homelessness in London and makes a point of showing unlucky people as actual humans with their own talents that have been masked by their inability to fit in our unforgiving society. It talks about fighting for your life and refusing to give up to the point of seeking out some kind of proof that you ought to be grateful to be here. It talks about things we should all be familiar with. It reminded me of last week’s accident on a Victoria line I read about a morning following me getting a panic attack on the very same line because I was sure, I was about to fall under a train. It reminds me of me, being awake at 05:00 now after months of not seeing a point of waking up. Summer spent by trying to hide and find a meaning of life again. And while I haven’t swapped my beer for a green juice just yet, I’m on my way.
Last Christmas is more than a good-feel Christmas movie set in between the beautiful Covent Garden and poor areas of London. It’ a story of how desperate we can get in order to find some joy again and fix our lives. It’s refreshing in showing its protagonist being real to the point of acknowledging that maybe following her dreams isn’t helping her mental state and she should take a break. This Christmas, it’s about getting better and I’m all in.