Nev D'Souza’s review published on Letterboxd:
Growing up I'd seen many TV shows pay homage to It's A Wonderful Life, using it as an excuse to tell a one-off "what if?" alternate universe story - Smallville and One Tree Hill instantly spring to mind. I'd never seen the original referenced text until today, but I can totally see why this holiday classic is adored by the masses and considered essential festive viewing.
While I genuinely enjoyed the movie and felt incredibly moved by it's climax, it didn't have as much of an emotional impact on me as I thought it would (given its long-standing cultural impact). I didn't cry...and usually I'm overly responsive to something sappy or heartwrenching. The first half of the movie was fairly plain sailing, with the occasional life obstacle to overcome. Yet the single occurrence of financial hardship drives George Bailey over the edge? I felt that James Stewart's character called it quits a little prematurely, although I suppose the film is representing a whole other period of time and struggle.
Despite that, one of the film's closing quotes of "no man is a failure who has friends" hit me right in the feels. The scene which immediately preceded that, whereby friends flooded in with donations, was hugely powerful. It serves as a reminder of peoples' capacity for compassion, generosity and good - even in a year where I've questioned my own trust in humanity. Elsewhere, I liked the guardian angel's fish out of water character treatment. Stewart's performance was excellent and scenes between him and Donna Reed were so romantic.
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