Last Train to Christmas

I watched this primarily as it was a Michael Sheen film and it promised some nostalgia. As always Sheen was excellent but the whole piece was very well done with a strong supporting performance from Cary Elwes. Nathalie Emmanuel also shone. The film was well crafted and despite its fantastical storyline it held together remarkably well. There was a great attention to detail and the cinematography and use of light in particular was such that I was convinced at one point that we were back in the 1980's. Overall it was well worth a viewing with entertaining and touching moments and a good heart and soul at its centre. Nice to see a Simon Aldred song get an outing at the end as well.

There is no doubt, there are elements of some classic Christmas films used in last train to Christmas. Whether it be a Christmas Carol, It's a wonderful life and a touch of sliding doors thrown in. First and foremost this is Michael Sheen's film. He is in every scene playing same person at various stages of his life had things turned out different between himself and his brother/nephew.

There is plenty to enjoy here with some enjoyable cameo appearances from the likes of Hayley Mills, John Thompson and Phyllis Logan. The only disappointment which stops me from giving it a higher mark, was the confusing ending. 7/10.

I can't say I was impressed by Last Train To Christmas. It started rather promising, a bit intriguing, but in the end it was just too confusing at times. Too much going back and forth, which wasn't good for the story. The acting was okay though and that from almost everyone. The duration of the movie was also a bit too long, it felt a bit boring towards the end. I guess as a tv-movie it would be okay, but it's just not my kind of soup.

Some wonderful acting and period details overshadowed by the multiple timelines which do, on occasion, become a bit confusing. I really enjoyed the first hour or so then felt the film lost its way with confusing jumps over a 50 year period. I thought the ending was ok though I can understand why many would find it frustrating.

People don't recommend movies to me very often; I think they assume that I've probably seen everything already. One of my friends though asked me to watch "Last Train to Christmas" as he'd seen it, and he wasn't sure what to think of it. I agreed, assuming that, as it's bundled with a lot of other Sky produced releases this festive period, that it would be light Christmas froth. It certainly wasn't that.

In 1985, Nottingham based empresario Tony Towers (Michael Sheen) boards a train home from London, with his fiancé Sue (Nathalie Emmanuel), brother Roger (Cary Elwes) and his wife Paula (Katherine Kelly). The brother's relationship is strained as Tony plans to a risky strategy of opening a number of clubs across the East Midlands. As Tony looks for the buffet section, he walks to the next carriage and inexplicably finds himself in 1995. In shabby clothes, he comes to learn that the clubs have failed, and he is near destitute. Tony discovers that each carriage on the train is a different decade in his life and he can change aspects in his own past. Despite the best of intentions though, the changes often have unforeseen consequences.

Again, I came to this one expecting light Christmas comedy, akin perhaps to something like the "Nativity" films. The opening scenes tend to support that idea too. Sheen is sporting a comedy mullet, his sparring with his brother and sister-in-law is fun, though with a little edge to it. The longer the films runs though, the darker the storyline gets, as family secrets are exposed, characters come and go from the story and none of Tony's changes turn out as planned. I see from some of the other reviews, that people struggled to follow the storyline. I can't say that was a problem for me, but I was surprised as it kept expanding and we saw further and further back into Tony's life.

Sheen is brilliant in everything, and there's a capable cast surrounding him. Some characters get more screen time than others, but Cary Elwes is excellent too. I live in the East Midlands. I think it's a really hard accent to nail without drifting too far North and becoming Yorkshire and I think, though not perhaps note perfect, both actors do a good job of landing it. There are aspects of the recreations that I liked, particularly when it comes to the train itself and despite not being a real comedy, there are regular funny moments.

Why not a higher score then? It too has been said in other reviews, but it's the ending for me. I don't need every film I see wrapped up in a nice little Christmas bow, but I felt the journey that Tony went on warranted a less ambiguous happy ending than the one we got. (I do have a specific one in mind, but I want to keep the review spoiler free).

That issue aside, I felt that "Last Train to Christmas" was an interesting and moving film that I wasn't expecting at all and am still thinking about days later.