It's a wonderful film!!

Rating: Null/10 (19 December 2002)

I watched this, believe it or not, for the very first time this week. I usually find it difficult to watch old films, some of them don't have the sheer timelessness that films like this and Citizen Kane do. I don't like those old films where people burst into song at the drop of a hat either, its not my cup of tea.
Anyway, this was put on in my film studies class and I have to say that it was a fantastically made movie, you rarely see films of this nice natured ilk anymore. It is basically about a guy called George Bailey who feels like he has failed and wasted his life, he figures it would be better if he had never been born. The start of the film introduces us to an Angel called Clarence who hasn't got his wings. He is given a brief recount of Georges life, from his childhood to his adulthood, full of lost ambitions to travel and create. Having been told of Georges life, Clarence must now save him and make him see how important his life is.
I think the key thing in this film is the real Christmassy spirit it has, you don't get that anymore, even in real Christmassy movies, that's because in the last ten years in particular, the Christmas spirit has been falling with the dramatic rise in commercialism and broken families. The performances are great too. James Stewart really does shine here, it is one of the great performances in movie history, from what I have seen, he is really likeable and he is just fantastic in his role, its a real lesson for wannabe actors.
Overall I would say that this is worthy of its classic status and I will certainly watch it when it is on at Christmas. 10/10