Frank Capra

There have been countless war docs since, what I appreciate about Capra's take is that it's very short and to the point. It's one of the best recaps detailing the start of World War II I've come across, which makes it an excellent introduction for people unfamiliar with the details of the war.

On the other hand, for someone my age, who has seen more than his fair share of WWII documentaries, there isn't that much here. Some cute animations, clear language and solid pacing make sure it's watchable, but content-wise it's all very basic. Not bad, but hard to recommend unless you're clueless about WWII.

This episode focuses on the Battle of Britain (duh), Hitler's first big defeat that would put a big dent into the air of invincibility that the Nazi army had created for itself. No doubt the broad lines of this documentary are accurate enough, but I wouldn't pay too much attention to any particular details.

It's quite clear that this was a film with a specific mission. Because it's so energetic it's actually quite fun to watch, pretty different from most war documentaries, but that doesn't change the fact that this is little more than a piece of dedicated propaganda, meant to raise the spirit of all those fighting in the war. A fun curiosity, but nothing more.

Mortimer is a well-known writer who is known for being skeptical about marriage. But even he can't escape love, and not much later he ties the knot. He drives home to inform his aunts, but when he gets there, he finds a body hidden in the cupboard. Wanting to save his aunts, Mortimer will learn that nothing is what it seems.

Grant is an enormous miscast, the jokes are lame and outdated and the runtime is excessive, though that's probably because the comedy fell completely flat for me. At least the film doesn't try to do anything else but to be funny, so the mood is light at all times. It's not much, but it's something.

Alice and Tony fell in love with each other, but they come from very different backgrounds and when their families meet, things become a bit tricky. Tony comes from a wealthy, close-minded family that cares only about money, whereas Alice's family is very open and friendly, and puts a stronger emphasis on human bonds.

The romance is dry, the families are pure caricatures, the comedy is cheesy and whatever drama there was fell completely flat. And all of that is stretched to pass the 2-hour mark. The light tone keeps it somewhat watchable, but that's of little comfort. A perfect Oscar winner I guess.

Mr. Deeds is a simple man who enjoys the smaller things in life. When he inherits a big sum of money, he is urged to go to the city with the lawyers to complete all the paper work. Once there, he is overwhelmed by all the people wanting to take a piece of his fortune, becoming increasingly disappointed with people's greed.

At almost two hours, the film drags on for way too long. Characters can't stop chatting, almost everyone is a caricature and Capra's tendency to makes thing overly cheesy and sentimental don't improve the film either. It's quite a chore to sit through, I haven't really found the big appeal of Capra's work yet.