Milo’s review published on Letterboxd:
I'm pretty sure I had this movie sitting on record since last Christmas when I told myself I would finally get around to watching this holiday season feature from classic Hollywood king Frank Capra. However, it's sat there for about a year now, and I figured especially with the family also keen to watch this film it seemed like something a bit more traditionally Christmassy than Die Hard was needed, and this certainly gives that film a run for its money in regards to the title of the best Christmas movie ever made. (My Top 3 Christmas Movies? They easily have to be It's A Wonderful Life, Die Hard and The Long Kiss Goodnight.)
I love Frank Capra's movies. This is the fifth I've seen so far this year by the director, and It's A Wonderful Life might just be his best. I'm torn between that or Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Or It Happened One Night. The only Capra movie I've seen that I wasn't too keen on was The Bitter Tea of General Yen, which I still at least liked if I wasn't blown away by it, but It's A Wonderful Life is just on another level. Like most classics I've seen this parodied long before I've actually seen the movie, but that doesn't make the impact of this film all the more powerful, hooking you in right from the start and captivating you right up until the end, leaving with a dramatic, emotional ending.
James Stewart is a great actor and this is another winner for him. He plays the everyday man far better than anyone ever could and makes George Bailey a character who you really want to get behind and support and feel sorry for when everything goes wrong. The film builds up his character superbly and you can't help but feel as utterly devastated as he does when he is on the verge of losing all goodwill that he has built up over the previous several years. It's a film for the optimist inside of all of us.
The final 20-30 minutes or so are up there with the greatest final act in the history of cinema. There's a reason why It's A Wonderful Life is an absolute must watch film - and it lived up to all of my lofty expectations that I had for it going in. It should be on the top of everyone's list of shame if they haven't seen it yet. Better late than never.
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