Perfectly-judged comedy

Rating: 9/10 (9 January 2018)

GROUNDHOG DAY is a classic comedy of 1993 that goes to show that the best premises are the simple ones. Bill Murray is perfectly cast as a jerk of a local TV weatherman who finds himself forced to live the same mundane day over and over again. I was partly dreading this because of the focus on his romance with Andie MacDowell, fearing another vomit-inducing film in the style of FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL, but I needn't have worried. MacDowell is very good here (although the film belongs to Murray) and the romance handled sensitively. However, it's much more than just a romance. It's a film which explores the human condition and has a lesson for both Murray and the viewers in how to treat people. It's funny rather than preachy, and comes across in a very similar fashion to IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE except with many more laugh-out-loud moments.