Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Last Christmas Blu-ray Movie Review

Look Up.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 6, 2020

Last Christmas could have worked fairly well without the "Christmas" part in play. The picture is set around the holiday but it's the story of physical and emotional recovery, about connection, and about life, not just the time of year. But the spirit of the season does run through the film as audiences become privy to more and more of its protagonist's story, her flaws and falls, her successes and second chances. A tender, heartfelt romance -- with a twist -- pulses through the tale of one woman's journey of discovery about who she was, is, and will be for the rest of her life.

Kate (Emilia Clarke) is a gifted singer who has made something of a mess of her life. She comes from a home where her mother (Emma Thompson) and father (Boris Isaković) are barely on speaking terms and her sister (Lydia Leonard) is hiding a secret. In between flubbing auditions Kate works full-time as an elf in a Christmas shop run by a woman the audience knows as "Santa" (Michelle Yeoh). While Santa finds herself frustrated with Kate's growing ambivalence and aimlessness, Kate finds her fortunes might be looking up when she bumps into a handsome man named Tom (Henry Golding) who immediately captures Kate's heart. As the two become friends, Kate yearns for something more, but Tom is reluctant to advance the relationship, and with good reason. It turns out Kate knows Tom better than she could have imagined, in some ways, at least. She also doesn't know him at all in others.

It takes some time for the film to lay all of its cards on the table, all of them building up to a major twist reveal that reworks the entire plot. It'll probably prove at least somewhat divisive amongst audiences, particularly those in search of more traditional genre beats, but there's something to be said for the film's efforts to push the material in a different direction, even at the expense of taking it out of its comfort zone. Veteran moviegoers will probably find the twist to be transparently obvious from early on; Feig and his screenwriters (which includes Actress Emma Thompson) build the Kate-Tom relationship with a repeating motif that all but calls it out for anyone willing to look just a little beyond the surface.

The movie traverses through some unorthodox narrative and character beats to be sure, but the movie is saved -- and lifted quite a bit -- by its charming leads. Clarke and Golding light up the screen with easygoing grace and palpable chemistry. As the movie explores their relationship -- as it appears and as it truly is -- there's an air of completeness about it, a clarity even in opaqueness and a certainty in togetherness. Both Clarke and Golding understand the characters' nuances, individually and collectively, and find a pleasing, heartwarming sense of true togetherness from their first meeting to the surreal reveal.

Last Christmas Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Last Christmas unwraps a prim and proper 1080p transfer for its Blu-ray release. While there is, at time of writing, no UHD on the market, the Blu-ray excels in translating the film's digital construct to high definition. The picture is spectacularly sharp, able and willing to reveal incredible details across every frame. Character close-ups are obviously the high point, showing intimate pores and intricate hairs with pinpoint command. Even makeup is plainly visible when in close. The nicknacks around Santa's shop are treasures for visual exploration, and numerous London locales, from wide city shots to cramped apartment interiors, offer exemplary clarity from top to bottom and side to side. Colors are true, offering spectacular clarity and fidelity. Contrast is never wonky, favoring a pleasing neutrality that brings out the best in Christmas odds and ends, lights, and various city location details. Eyes, lipstick, and other character color accents shine. Skin tones are spot-on and black levels are perfectly deep and accurate. Noise is kept to a bare minimum and there are no other source or encode issues to report. Blu-ray doesn't get much better for new, sparkling, digitally sourced productions.

Last Christmas Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Last Christmas' DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack delivers a fluid, fruitful, and faithful listening experience. The film opens with strikingly rich, seamlessly spacious, and perfectly clear organ music, quickly joined by angelic vocals that together deliver what is arguably the finest listening experience the movie has to offer. At the other end of the movie is another performance of some vigor, vitality, stage-expanding size, and harmonious clarity through several elements. The track additionally delivers precise location ambience, particularly out on city streets where general background din engages with balanced finesse and perfect placement. Listeners will always feel engaged in the movie's lively locations and its more gently atmospheric places alike. Mainstay dialogue is centered, detailed, and well prioritized for the duration. No complaints with this one.

Last Christmas Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Last Christmas contains a bevy of bonus features, headlined by a pair of audio commentary tracks. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.

• Alternate Ending (1080p, 1:53): Feig introduces the supplements in the standard manner prior to the alternate ending, which runs about a minute.
• Blooper Reel (1080p, 14:30): Feig introduces the bloopers for about 20 seconds.
• Deleted/Alternate/Extended Scenes (1080p, 22:45 total runtime): Feig introduces the following scenes: Not Up to West End Standards - Extended, Tom Shows Kate the City, Kate Arrives at Jenna and Rufus' Place, Kate Brings a Date Back, Kate Gets Kicked Out - Extended, Kate Has No Place to Go, Kate Lonely at the Bar, Kate is Late, Tom Does So Much Good, Kate Has An Audition, Kate Returns the Skates, Kate and Marta Fight - Alternate, Petra Is Afraid - Extended, Kate at the Shelter - Extended, and Tom Has Something to Say - Alternate.
• Alternate Opening (1080p, 1:11): Surprisingly, Feig does not introduce the film's ditched open.
• "Last Christmas" Full Performance (1080p, 3:56): Feig does introduce a full rendition of Emila Clarke's performance.
• Director in Vision (1080p, 1:51): Feig chats up the "BTS" (behind the scenes) features prior to the main event, a collage of interesting on-set footage clips featuring cast and crew, and Feig in particular, at work.
• It's All So Cold (1080p, 2:00): A whole featurette depicting Clarke coping with and complaining about the cold.
• Try Not to Laugh (1080p, 6:04): Cast and crew can't help but to laugh during one shot in this glorified blooper reel.
• A Legacy Revealed (1080p, 2:43): A quick look at getting the ball rolling on the script and assembling the cast and crew.
• Pure Golding (1080p, 1:28): A closer look at Henry Golding's performance of the film's male romantic lead, Tom.
• Emilia Recording Session (1080p, 2:14): In praise of Clark's vocal work in the film.
• Love Letter to London (1080p, 3:36): The benefits and joys of shooting on-location in London.
• Santa and Her Elf (1080p, 2:47): Exploring the set of Yuletide Wonderful and looking at Michelle Yeoh's performance of Santa and her relationship with Kate.
• Paul Feig Takes Over the Tram (1080p, 3:34): The director remembers his days as a tour guide at Universal Studios when he takes over guide duties.
• 12 Days of Production (1080p, 10:21): Cast and crew video journals from the set.
• Audio Commentary: Director Paul Feig.
• Audio Commentary: Director Paul Feig and Producer/Co-Writer Emma Thompson.

Last Christmas Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Last Christmas has its moments of charm, heart, and soul, but the movie never quite takes off the way it should. The story beats are a bit flat and the twist is not difficult to puzzle out. A wayward script is elevated by two terrific lead performances, however, which make the movie worth seeing. Universal's Blu-ray is both feature packed and includes top-rate video and audio presentations. Recommended.