Review 200: It's a Wonderful Life

It's a Wonderful Life is a truly wonderful film, possibly the best Christmas movie ever, a film I just watch every year and one of Frank Capra's best films.

George Bailey (James Stewart) has spent his entire life giving of himself to the people of Bedford Falls. He has always longed to travel but never had the opportunity in order to prevent rich skinflint Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore) from taking over the entire town. All that prevents him from doing so is George's modest building and loan company, which was founded by his generous father. But on Christmas Eve, George's Uncle Billy (Thomas Mitchell) loses the business's $8,000 while intending to deposit it in the bank. Potter finds the misplaced money and hides it from Billy. When the bank examiner discovers the shortage later that night, George realizes that he will be held responsible and sent to jail and the company will collapse, finally allowing Potter to take over the town. Thinking of his wife, their young children, and others he loves will be better off with him dead, he contemplates suicide. But the prayers of his loved ones result in a gentle angel named Clarence (Henry Travers) coming to earth to help George, with the promise of earning his wings. He shows George what things would have been like if he had never been born. In a nightmarish vision in which the Potter-controlled town is sunk in sex and sin, those George loves are either dead, ruined, or miserable. He realizes that he has touched many people in a positive way and that his life has truly been a wonderful one.

The plot is beautiful work of art, it tells the story of a man-a good, selfless man who gives up his dreams to help others around him and it shows how a life of kindness can change the lives of many around one person, but he doesn't realize it and he's give a chance to see what the history of the town would have been like had he never been born. It's mainly a story about life and how we should be happy with the life we have. Overall I just think it's such a wonderfully written story. In fact it's so good it will literally make you want to cry. Also the films depiction of Georges life is mesmirising. There are so many events in Georges life that we when we get into the alternate reality he ad we as an audience realize what Bedford Falls would have been like if George had never existed.

co-writer, director Frank Capra's direction is sensitive/beautiful/unobtrusive/precise, gorgeous setting, the production design is imaculate, the costumes are mystical, the score by Dimitri Tiomkin is beautifully breathtaking, it's beautifully shot in black and white, it's well paced, there are some wonderful, wonderful moments of humor, the props are fabulous, the make up is rich and beautifully detailed, the effects are terrific, the sound effects are brilliant and the effect of the closing sequence is moving.

The whole cast was wonderful, James Stewart gives on of the most powerful and dramatic performances of his career as George, Donna Reed is luminous and lovely as Mary, Georges teenage sweetheart and later wife and she and Stewart share a wonderful and warm screen chemistry, Henry Travers is fabulous as Clarence, Beulah Bondi is stupendous as Ma Bailey, Thomas Mitchell is sensitive as Uncle Billy Bailey, Frank Faylen is brilliant as Ernie Bishop, the cab driver, Ward Bond is fantastic as as Bert, the cop, Lionel Barrymore was a sensational villain and the rest of the cast is wonderful.

 It's a Wonderful Life is a Wonderful Christmas, there's almost no other film like it and it stays in your heart until the day you die and remember no man is a failure who has friends, 5/5

The Anonymous Critic.