Great Film and Great Review! (Additional Review by XIM)cinematixyzDecember 25 2011, 19:00:10 UTC
I agree with everything you said about this great film. I love it and have watched it more than any other 'holiday' film except maybe A Charlie Brown Christmas, which is also a yearly favorite. This film will grip you and hold you if you give it ten minutes and you will be drawn into one of the best character driven films ever made. It does run the emotional scale, taking the viewer from the depths of human depravity to the heights of joy and everything in between. The special edition DVD of this film is very worthwhile, with a commentary from a film historian that will fill in the history and background and place the film in context. For lovers of film history it is a great way to understand more of the times the film was made in and what the post-war period was like for Americans. It joins other commentaries like the one for Citizen Kane and the one for Gone With the Wind that really covers everything like cast and crew histories, historical context, and how the film has played out though the decades. I sometimes prefer these commentaries to ones with a couple of cast members rattling off funny stories about what was happening on set, because you get lessons that really help one understand many facets of movie-making, American history, and the lives of classic movie stars, directors, writers, and film technicians. Do your family a favor and watch this movie together and make memories that you will cherish a lifetime, literally! I too have a little sister that Zuzu reminds me of when I watch It's A Wonderful Life. If you are lucky, often life CAN be wonderful. This movie will remind you of this fact. -Comments by XIM ---POST SCRIPT: I saw a band back around 1999 that called itself ZUZU'S PETALS. It was an all-girl trio that rocked hard. The singer of this band later had a child with THE REPLACEMENTS front-man Paul Westerberg (or so I heard.) I still have a single I bought at the show that all three band-members autographed for me. I love girls who can rock loud! ---POST SCRIPT COMMENT #2: I attached the BRAZIL photo to this comment, to remind readers of my favorite film of all time: Terry Gilliam's BRAZIL, although not really a holiday film, does take place during Christmas, and demands more than one viewing to appreciate its many depths. -XIM
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