Week of 7 November
BLU-RAY: It's a Wonderful Life ★★★★★ (Stars James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Henry Travers, Beulah Bondi, Frank Faylen, Ward Bond; £19.99; UK cert U; £19.99; 130 mins) One of the loveleliest films ever made, and although It's a Wonderful Life was released 65 years ago, it's a film that never gets old. In fact, it's a film I watch each and every Christmas Day. It's the story of George Bailey (Stewart), who grows up in the small town of Bedford Falls and dreams of travel and adventure. But events conspire to keep him stuck firmly at home and eventually taking over the running of the family business, the bailey Bulding & Loan. But when a scandal threatens to bankrupt the business - and George - he attempts suicide, on Christmas Eve. Apprentice angel Clarence (Travers) saves his life, and then shows George what the world would be like if he had never been born. Probably Frank Capra's best film. Despite the fact that it's quite cheesey and very schmaltzy, it works – Thanks primarily to wonderful performances from Stewart, Reed and Travers. Much imitated, much paridoed but never bettered, It's a Wonderful life is, to put it simply, just wonderful. Extras: A colourised version of the film, but please ignore it – this film works best in good-old black and white; plus the theatrical trailer. — Stuart O'Connor
DVD: One From The Heart ★½ (Stars Frederic Forrest, Teri Garr and Raul Julia; £15.99; UK cert 12; 98 mins) A musical romantic drama (though not a musical) that follows Hank and Frannie as they celebrate their 5th anniversary in Las Vegas. However, over the course of the night they argue, especially about Frannie’s wish for a more adventure filled life, and they end up splitting up. They both go their separate ways, and attempt to find the thing they thought they were looking for, specifically in the arms of others, in hanks case, whereas Frannie ends up sleeping with (Raul Julia), leading them both to new realisations about their relationship, and their future. One From The Heart is a strange film, with a highly stylised aesthetic, and a very bizarre use of music throughout. Though not ostensibly a musical, the film features far more music than the average film. The relationship between the two leads is played out admirably, but something about the film just doesn’t quite work, especially with the sound stage sets, which though impressive, are inauthentic to the point of being distracting. This film bankrupted Francis Ford Coppola, and was one of the main reasons we ended up with The Godfather III, giving it even more to answer for. In many ways it’s a shame, it’s easy to see the innovations Coppola was intending, but it falls somewhat short. No extras — Tom Mimnagh
DVD: The Escape Artist ★★★ (Stars Raul Julia, Griffin O'Neal, Desi Arnaz; £15.99; UK cert PG; 90 mins) Danny Masters is the son of the late great Harry Masters, a famous escapologist and magician. Danny wants to emulate his father, and has grown up trying to do so. After visiting his aunt and uncle’s magic show, he decides to join them in their magic show in order to try and live up to the reputation of his father. However, in doing so he ends up in nothing but trouble, after getting involved in dealings with Stu, the hell-raising son of the corrupt local mayor. He soon finds himself embroiled in a complicated situation which includes an escape attempt from a jail cell (which is where the film starts before it plays out in mostly flashback), as well as finding out there was much more to his fathers death than he knew. In many respects The Escape artist is a really touching story about hero worship, and trying to live up to the standards set by a talented parent, but also about Danny’s journey of self discovery. The second act feels a bit rushed, and aside from the two main characters, everyone else featured appears as something of an afterthought. Raul Julia is excellent here as the Mayor’s wild behaving son, and Griffin O’Neal puts forward a strong performance as Danny, who despite being a less than reputable character at times, still comes across as charming and likeable. Overall, the film is affecting and heart-warming in equal measure, and although not without its flaws, it is enjoyable and intriguing throughout. No extras — Tom Mimnagh