Capra was definitely one of the best known 'romantic' directors of his time. While I immensely enjoyed his 'It Happened One Night', his 'It's a Wonderful Life' (it has been said that this is Capra's best work) did not appeal to me. A 'Pocketful of Miracles' is more of a fairy tale comedy. The title highly appealed to me and how can one say no to a film with Frank Capra and Bette Davis? The film isn't without its share of drawbacks so let's get those out of the way. At times I felt the focus was too much on the Dude when it should have delved deeper into Apple Annie and her struggle. I also thought the ending was slightly rushed and I really wanted to see more of what happened to Apple Annie and the others.
The strength of 'Pocketful of Miracles' is its original humour. The writing, especially of the dialogues, is terrific. The characters are a delight. All the actors are superb. Bette Davis is amazing and even though her character isn't fully fleshed in the second half, she performs with grace and poise. Glenn Ford is quite good. Hope Lange is stunning. Ann Margret is cute. Peter Falk provides some great laugh out loud moments. Thomas Mitchell, Ellen Corby and Edward Everett Horton are great.
In addition, 'Pocketful of Miracles' is very pleasing to the eyes. The colourful sets, flashy costumes and lavish interiors that highlight the glamour are very appealing.
With this heartwarming swansong, Capra has made me laugh out loud for more than two hours and that more than compensates for the flaws. What a way to say farwell.
The strength of 'Pocketful of Miracles' is its original humour. The writing, especially of the dialogues, is terrific. The characters are a delight. All the actors are superb. Bette Davis is amazing and even though her character isn't fully fleshed in the second half, she performs with grace and poise. Glenn Ford is quite good. Hope Lange is stunning. Ann Margret is cute. Peter Falk provides some great laugh out loud moments. Thomas Mitchell, Ellen Corby and Edward Everett Horton are great.
In addition, 'Pocketful of Miracles' is very pleasing to the eyes. The colourful sets, flashy costumes and lavish interiors that highlight the glamour are very appealing.
With this heartwarming swansong, Capra has made me laugh out loud for more than two hours and that more than compensates for the flaws. What a way to say farwell.