It's a vexing movie

Rating: 6/10 (15 December 2016)

This isn't the first time I've seen "It's A Wonderful Life", but it still leaves me cold. And it's primarily because the Dickensian "what-if?" hook that redeems George Bailey in the end isn't enough to make up for the brutal treatment of that character up until that point. I know that's a minority opinion; my family thinks I'm nuts. But look, Bailey's a dreamer, brimming with a youthful ambition that gets snuffed out time and again by his obligation to Bedford Falls. Sure, there's a message here, that he protects the town from predatory capitalism, but to see the man struck down by one cruel twist of fate after another is beyond frustrating; and the payoff feels cheap in comparison.
This is a classic for a reason, and who knows, maybe I'll grow into it. But as it stands, its charms are wasted on me.
6/10