How does this communicate to you?

Rating: 10/10 (24 January 2002)

Before watching this I had the same misconceptions as everyone else about films from this golden age and especially this festive flick. The film fortunately put such doubts to rest. Many will argue it is too sentimental, while partly true, such scenes are handled with the utmost care and NEVER feel cheap. Being from this current generation of cynical drones, this film to me, was a revelation. Capra fills each scene with such feeling and character that one cannot help but feel slightly moved. The film has the perfect cast especially the immortal Jimmy Stewart and the ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS Donna Reed (underrated, underrated). While labelled as a feel good christmas movie, such a label is disrespectful. The film encompasses a variety of values and emotions, from family, faith, hope, love, aspirations, despair to many others. Although it is a universal film and there are some lighthearted periods, there are also scenes of depression and unhappiness(exploiting the talent of Stewart perfectly). If this is a happy, festive film, then it is the most depressing one I have ever seen. Every scene is excellently realised by a director at the pinacle of his craft and furnished with layers of detail and feeling. The film is also complemented by the best cast ever assembled (yep beating all others I think in my opinion). Every performance is refreshing and unlike 99% of all other golden age films from this era, the acting and dialogue is wonderfully accomplished and refreshing and has not dated in the least. Many polls do not consider this to be the greatest film ever after all it has to be something 'cool' something for the 'twenty something generation', something like the Godfather or Pulp Fiction. It effortless surpasses my previous favourites: Shawshank Redemption, Magnolia, Chungking Express, The Truman Show and Memento. These films while excellent do not touch me PERSONALLY in the same way as It's a Wonderful Life. They do not ignite the same sense of joy and euphoria, that little 'magic'. This is cinematic utopia, a film which breaks free from the boundaries of motion entertainment and into the realms of your emotional senses. And it feels nice.