It's a Wonderful Life

During the festive season you'd be hard-pressed to not flick on to a channel with classic films that appear around Christmas, and It's a Wonderful Life is surely one of the most iconic. It tells the story of a local hero of sorts pushed to the brink of suicide as he fights-off a crooked businessman who would ruin his town. In many respects this is very far from your usual festive film but in a stroke of luck from director Frank Capra, setting this around Christmas has kept the film in people's minds year-on-year and above the usual dusty classics.

Released in 1946 and starring James Stewart, the film did not fair well at the box office and Stewart himself was uncertain if the role was right for him so soon after the war. Thankfully he accepted and is great as the hearty protagonist who tries to bring good to the poorer residents of Bedford Falls. Again this is not A Muppets Christmas Carol when it comes to festive films and some of the themes had the FBI investigate the film for risk of communist messages but this is a great film to see and made all the better when seen during this season.

The dramatic and more intense moments as Stewart's George Bailey finds himself in times of complete despair are balanced so well through his range as an actor which makes it easy to see why he was everyone's go-to leading man at the time. Capra's direction wisely balances the drama with many moments of comedy and the supporting cast add to the charm that has helped this film endure many years but remain a classic.

It's a Wonderful Life is a charming feel-good film that can be seen at anytime of the year and is one I'd strongly recommend.