100 movies: It’s a Wonderful Life

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100 movies of 2012
Every year I set myself a target, usually of about 100, of films to watch. These are new films. Not new, new films. But films that are new to me. Any time I’ve seen a new one, I post a bit of a brain dump of my thoughts on the film here. Enjoy!

It's a Wonderful LifeIt’s a Wonderful Life (24/12/12)

An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed.

It’s Christmas Eve and there’s nothing on TV. No films that remind me of my Christmases gone past. Not that my Christmases are all that memorable, other than an over indulgence of food. There was just nothing. So what better time than to give It’s a Wonderful Life a watch for the first time? Good idea, right?

Great idea. It’s a Wonderful Life is probably the perfect viewing for Christmas Eve. Any other time of the year, I’m not sure it would have felt ‘right’.

It’s a Wonderful Life is a good, classic film. James Stewart’s George Bailey could quite possibly be the most selfless and genuinely nice film character I have ever come across. Though for this cynical person, that was a bit hard to swallow at times. But it was Christmas Eve and I was getting into the spirit of things.

It’s a simple story with some very heart warming characters that you can’t help but fall for. BUT. But, by film’s end I honestly didn’t understand quite how much love this film gets. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a good film and I can understand why it’s a classic. But I didn’t connect with it as I hoped I would. It was an enjoyable enough film to watch, but when it finished I wasn’t left with any lasting feeling. You know?

So yes, I appreciate this film. Glad I watched it. Think it’s a definite classic for a reason. But will I be itching to watch it again? Probably not. Sorry!
Rating: 4/5

Read on to see all the films watched this year…

89 Films so far this year

  1. The Tourist 1/5 (02/01/12)
  2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 5/5 (03/01/12)
  3. World’s Greatest Dad 2/5 (14/01/12)
  4. Haywire 3/5 (19/01/12)
  5. Dead Snow 3/5 (20/01/12)
  6. The Artist 5/5 (21/01/12)
  7. Priest 2/5 (05/02/12)
  8. The Muppets 5/5 (15/02/12)
  9. Faster 4/5 (19/02/12)
  10. Chronicle 4/5 (22/02/12)
  11. Safe House 4/5 (24/02/12)
  12. Reservoir Dogs 4/5 (25/02/12)
  13. This Means War 4/5 (02/03/12)
  14. The Royal Tenenbaums 3/5 (03/03/12)
  15. Reign of Fire 3/5 (04/03/12)
  16. Dear John 2/5 (04/03/12)
  17. Road to Perdition 5/5 (05/03/12)
  18. The Three Musketeers 3/5 (06/03/12)
  19. The Eagle 2/5 (10/03/12)
  20. Everybody’s Fine 2/5 (14/03/12)
  21. Frankenstein 4/5 (15/03/12)
  22. Love and Other Drugs 2/5 (15/03/12)
  23. You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger 2/5 (17/03/12)
  24. The Big Lebowski 5/5 (18/03/12)
  25. The Hunger Games 3/5 (23/03/12)
  26. Headhunters 4/5 (07/04/12)
  27. Super 1/5 (07/04/12)
  28. The Cabin in the Woods 5/5 (13/04/12)
  29. Watchmen 4/5 (14/04/12)
  30. The Hurt Locker 3/5 (21/04/12)
  31. Avengers Assemble 5/5 (26/04/12)
  32. 22 Bullets 2/5 (28/04/12)
  33. Bad Teacher 1/5 (29/04/12)
  34. Red Riding Hood 1/5 (04/05/12)
  35. A Perfect Getaway 4/5 (05/05/12)
  36. Ca$h 1/5 (13/05/12)
  37. Kung Fu Panda 2 3/5 (14/05/12)
  38. Everything Must Go 2/5 (24/05/12)
  39. New York, I Love You 2/5 (25/05/12)
  40. Beginners 4/5 (26/05/12)
  41. Prometheus 4/5 (03/06/12)
  42. The Tree of Life 2/5 (04/06/12)
  43. The Lovely Bones 3/5 (05/06/12)
  44. Snow White and the Huntsman 3/5 (06/06/12)
  45. The Devil’s Backbone 4/5 (07/06/12)
  46. Britain in a Day 5/5 (11/06/12)
  47. The French Connection 4/5 (15/06/12)
  48. Insomnia 3/5 (16/06/12)
  49. Rebel Without a Cause 4/5 (22/06/12)
  50. A Lonely Place to Die 3/5 (26/06/12)
  51. Killer Joe 3/5 (29/06/12)
  52. The Amazing Spider-Man 4/5 (03/07/12)
  53. Raising Arizona 4/5 (04/07/12)
  54. Horrible Bosses 4/5 (06/07/12)
  55. Broadcast News 3/5 (07/07/12)
  56. We Need to Talk About Kevin 4/5 (07/07/12)
  57. Miller’s Crossing 4/5 (18/07/12)
  58. The Dark Knight Rises 5/5 (20/07/12)
  59. 21 Jump Street 5/5 (29/07/12)
  60. The Mystery Team 3/5 (07/08/12)
  61. The Help 4/5 (11/08/12)
  62. The Bourne Legacy 3/5 (13/08/12)
  63. The Expendables 2 4/5 (17/08/12)
  64. Brave 5/5 (19/08/12)
  65. Dracula 3/5 (19/08/12)
  66. The Woman in Black 3/5 (24/08/12)
  67. The Mummy 4/5 (28/08/12)
  68. Lawless 3/5 (30/08/12)
  69. Real Steel 2/5 (31/08/12)
  70. [REC] 3 Genesis 2/5 (04/09/12)
  71. Take Shelter 4/5 (15/09/12)
  72. Dredd 3D 3/5 (19/09/12)
  73. The Apartment 5/5 (23/09/12)
  74. Young Frankenstein 5/5 (25/09/12)
  75. Looper 5/5 (28/09/12)
  76. Sinister 3/5 (10/10/12)
  77. Skyfall 5/5 (26/10/12)
  78. The Prince & Me 3/5 (31/10/12)
  79. Crazy, Stupid, Love 4/5 (03/11/12)
  80. Argo 5/5 (07/11/12)
  81. Super Troopers 3/5 (22/11/12)
  82. The Raid 5/5 (24/11/12)
  83. Moneyball 4/5 (27/11/12)
  84. Lars and the Real Girl 4/5 (28/11/12)
  85. The Illusionist 3/5 (29/11/12)
  86. Seven Psychopaths 4/5 (12/12/12)
  87. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 4/5 (13/12/12)
  88. Midnight in Paris 4/5 (22/12/12)
  89. It’s a Wonderful Life 4/5 (24/12/12)

7 Comments

  1. 4 out of 5 is where I came down on it as well; I also watched it for the first time this year. I’m pretty sure the reason it’s so consistently highly praised is that it’s become cemented as a classic due to the years of repetition during its public domain period (in the U.S., anyway, but I’m sure it had a spillover effect elsewhere). Still, Jimmy Stewart is great.

  2. I’ve never seen this movie either. I don’t know why I never got to watch this movie. IDK why I still haven’t seen this movie either. It was on recently, but I only caught one scene and it’s was in beginning where the two main characters get married and as they are driving to their honeymoon, the drivers stops because something is happening at the bank. That’s all I saw. LOL

    Maybe next christmas I’ll watch it. I’ll feel a little weird watching after xmas.

    • Yes! The whole set up of the film felt too long. I got it… he’s a decent guy who’s always thinking about others, just get on with it!

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