“Father bloody Christmas, get me out of here,” Emilia Clarke says in the trailer for “Last Christmas.” It’s unclear whether her character, Kate, wants to escape the year-round Yuletide shop she works for or her life in general.
You see, Kate’s been having a rough time. Her family thinks she’s a fuck up, her roommate’s kicked her out because Kate accidentally killed her tropical fish (it’s a long story), and her boss (Michelle Yeoh) has nicknamed her Lazy the Elf. And then she meets Tom (Henry Golding, “Crazy Rich Asians”) in whatever the opposite of a meet-cute is. Hint: it involves a bird.
Despite their shaky introduction, the two hit it off. Tom is a do-gooder (“Why didn’t you just get ‘saint’ tattooed on your forehead?” Kate mocks) who volunteers at homeless shelters and encourages Kate to pursue her passion of music. Kate feels comfortable enough around him to open up about something traumatic from her past.
“I’m just scared all the time,” she confesses, “and they just expect me to be normal, and get on with life.”
“Last Christmas” is directed by “Bridesmaids'” Paul Feig and written by Emma Thompson and playwright Bryony Kimmings. Thompson also stars as Kate’s mother, Adelia.
Clarke is up for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series at the Emmys this year for her work as Daenerys in “Game of Thrones.” Her other credits include “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” “Dom Hemingway,” and “Me Before You.”
Thompson won Oscars for penning 1995’s “Sense and Sensibility” and acting in 1992’s “Howards End.” You can catch her now in “Late Night” and at TIFF 2019 in “How to Build a Girl.” “Years and Years” and “Men in Black: International” are among her recent projects.
“Last Christmas” opens November 8.
