In “Last Train to Christmas,” a reimagining of the Christmas classic “A Christmas Carol” follows Tony Towers, a newly engaged eccentric businessman who owns a line of night clubs and lives a lavish lifestyle. He sets out on an uncomfortable train journey on Christmas with his estranged cousin Roger and his lady love Sue who is nervous about meeting his family for the first time.
Charles Dickens…with a Comedic Twist
Along the journey, Tony discovers that he can travel back and forth in time while moving between carriages. When he discovers his future is nothing but woe and bankruptcy, he decides to move backwards in time; this is an attempt to change his past and mend his many failed relationships with family, friends, and love interests. These include some whom have shaped him during his pursuit of success, and others who’ve deserted or betrayed him. But in doing so, he finds himself overwhelmed by a gamut of alternate realities. None of theses seem to work out in his favour, and many negatively impact his bond with his loved ones and play havoc with his mental health and others close to him.
The concept of “Last Train to Christmas” is captivating and it also delivers in terms of execution. It revamps a timeless Dickens classic while simultaneously bringing original ideas to the table. It also touches upon similar themes explored in the aforementioned work such as greed, forgiveness, selflessness, humility, and loneliness. Both show their main character delving into the error of his ways, learning and unlearning certain life lessons, and uncovering family secrets that have an adverse effect on his professional and personal life. “Last Train to Christmas” hints at the idea of chancing upon multiple crossroads that will either lead to a life of short-lived success, or ruin the protagonist with guilt and misery for the rest of his days.
Kudos to the Make-Up and Costume Departments
The prosthetics and makeup department deserve a majority of the praise here; they keep with the times and style the various characters accordingly. Whether it is Tony’s disheveled look when he first encounters a miserable fate in his future, his cringeworthy short shorts and an even cringier soul patch as he travels forward in time to the ’90s (or his crisp and classy vintage suits from his early years), the film excels in keeping things real.
The attention to detail with regards to set design and props is equally important; minute details such as the brand names of chocolates in the varying time periods lend authenticity to the proceedings. These details also help in conveying the time period to audiences without them needing to scratch their heads (although I must admit the massive jumps time definitely left my head spinning!).
Michael Sheen turns in a sincere performance as Tony Towers and his co-stars such as Nathalie Emmanuel as Tony’s supportive fiancée Sue, Katherine Kelly as the judgmental Paula, Anna Lundberg in a brief but hilarious turn as the bossy and vaguely European Astrid, and many others lend him ample support. But the stand out for me was by Cary Elwes as Tony’s nerdy younger sibling and former business partner Roger; he shares a bittersweet personal relationship with Tony due to a prior falling out in their work relationship.
Cary Elwes Makes a Lasting Impression
This role allows Elwes ample scope to showcase his acting chops; we see scenes such as him experiencing a mental breakdown due to Tony’s selfish attitude and his rising success that leads to him lashing out at his older sibling. These are just prime examples that Elwes deserves to feature in a lot more projects like these; the film don’t waste him, but instead highlights his talent for turning in tremendous performances.
The prosthetics and makeup department deserve a majority of the praise here; they keep with the times and style the various characters accordingly.”
Overall, if you are looking for a break from holiday rom-coms and are in the mood for a holiday sci-fi, then book your tickets for “Last Train to Christmas.”
“Last Train to Christmas” is currently available to stream on Sky Cinema and NOW.
