'Last Train to Christmas' had something of a quiet release in Ireland and the UK, as it premiered on Sky Cinema and streaming service NOW last weekend. But trust us when we say that if you're looking for those magical, wistful, contemplative and hopeful feelings that, every so often, a really special Christmas movie will provoke, then this film is well-worth seeking out.
'Last Train to Christmas' follows Tony Towers (Michael Sheen), a successful nightclub manager and local celeb relishing in the year 1985. On a train journey to meet the family with fiancé Sue (Nathalie Emmanuel) and brother Roger (Cary Elwes), Tony ventures to the buffet cart. There he discovers he has travelled forward through time.
Upon further exploration, Tony realises that going forwards and backwards through the various compartments allows him to move forwards or backwards in time. Tony tries to manipulate time for the sake of his career. But as secrets from the past emerge, the decisions Tony makes put his love life and family in danger.
'Last Train to Christmas' will no doubt recall for viewers such movies as 'About Time', starring Domhnall Gleeson, and the underrated Adam Sandler film 'Click'. It also has the feel of such Christmas classics as 'It's a Wonderful Life' and 'A Christmas Carol'. In that way, there's something comforting and familiar about the Michael Sheen starrer. And yet it's something different too.
There are actually a lot of layers to 'Last Train to Christmas' and while it's far from flawless - between the loose ends inevitably left by its time travel plot, and Nathalie Emmanuel being underused - it could very well be the best Christmas movie of 2021. That's not only because it offers all you could want from a Christmas movie. It also captures the feel of 2021 in a profound way (not in direct relation to the pandemic, but in an obscure way).
As Tony travels forwards through the 1990s, 2000s and beyond, and back to the 1960s, 1950s and beyond, the cinematography and production design distinctly change to portray the era, in a way that feels effective rather than hammy. The film reflects on the current era's tendency to be nostalgic for times past, but highlights how every era comes with its issues. Moreover, it's only from experiencing the past and accepting it that we can move forward.
The ending (without giving too much away) is the point at which Tony is most uncertain of his circumstances of all. Yet, following an act of selflessness, he has become wiser, willing to take on whatever comes ahead, because he knows he did the best he could.
Michael Sheen is phenomenal in the role of Tony, really carrying the emotional weight of the character's journey. One is reminded of just how good an actor he is, while Cary Elwes (who you can also spot in Netflix's new Christmas movie, 'A Castle for Christmas') also impresses.
Another interesting thread to 'Last Train to Christmas' is its exploration of the fickle nature of celebrity, as it demonstrates the temporary - and thus unimportant - nature of fame and fortune.
The movie is about holding on to the good times, because they're preciously few in number. It is about self acceptance, as we are flawed, but should always strive to do the right thing. It is about the importance of family over all else.
'Last Train to Christmas' is not an exceptional feature. Heck, in many ways, it's just a really good made-for-TV movie. Yet there's something authentic and inescapably contemporary about its emotions and themes that stays with you. That may just mean it'll prove a cult classic.
'Last Train to Christmas' is streaming on NOW and Sky.
