The love in Last Christmas is overpoweringly strong

The November arrival of Last Christmas is great news for anyone who wished there were more happy-sad British rom-coms about lovelorn Londoners riding emotional rollercoasters all the way through December.

Warning! The Love Actually is very strong with this one.

Very, very strong. Almost overpoweringly so.

The November arrival of Last Christmas is great news for anyone who wished there were more happy-sad British rom-coms about lovelorn Londoners riding emotional rollercoasters all the way through December.

Everyone else should immediately grab what they need for the next few months, and start running until someone sends word this movie’s season has ended.

The chemistry between Henry Golding and Emilia Clarke is obvious. Picture: AP

Inspired by (and featuring) the songs of the late George Michael, Last Christmas centres on the trials and tribulations of Kate (Emilia Clarke), whose messy life gets suddenly cleaned up by the arrival of mysterious new boyfriend Tom (Henry Golding).

You would think that a Little Miss Do-It-Wrong finding her elusive Mister Right would be where the story ends.

However, it is really just the start of a long, clanking chain of pithy punchlines, poignant revelations and Christmas cliches that shall haul many willing viewers to a place of misty eyes and goofy smiles.

Last Christmas has a great support cast in Michelle Yeoh and Emma Thompson. Picture: AP

A second warning: if you have stumbled upon a trailer for Last Christmas, I can only hope you have not cast too forensic an eye upon its contents.

In a few versions of the trailer still in circulation, a crucial plot twist – in fact, the only one – is all but given away. It is a much, much better experience as a movie if you go in not armed with any expectations or suspicions.

Now then, back to Last Christmas itself. While the movie is certain to win over anybody carrying the I Love Love Actually gene, it will be interesting to see what uninvested viewers make of the casting of Emilia Clarke in a largely comedic role.

Emilia Clarke leans hard on the lines penned for her in this comedic role.

Clarke is not a naturally funny performer, and early on in Last Christmas, she is clearly leaning too hard on the lines penned for her in the screenplay by Emma Thompson (who also appears in a minor role as Kate’s mother).

However, Clarke does eventually find her footing with the role of Kate, particularly once her obvious chemistry with co-star Golding (equally good as he was inCrazy Rich Asians) kicks in.

LAST CHRISTMAS (PG)

Director: Paul Feig (Bridesmaids)

Starring: Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Emma Thompson, Michelle Yeoh.

Rating: ***

T’is the season to be jolly … and melancholy

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