dantbrooks

It's A Wonderful Life tells the story of George Bailey, an honest, hard-working resident of Bedford Falls who dreams of seeing the world. We learn in flashback how circumstance and his own good heart have prevented him from pursuing his dream until one Christmas Eve, when a dark night of the soul pushes George to the brink of suicide and he is saved by divine intervention. George gets the chance to see what life would be like in Bedford Falls if he had never been born and realizes the true importance of his life.

It would be easy for people to miss the true meaning of It's A Wonderful Life and dismiss the film as sentimental nonsense due to the corny opening scene and the appearance of a supernatural angel. However, it is hard to think of another film that examines the overwhelming complexity of one individual's life so deeply or questions how our choices affect the lives of others.

It's A Wonderful Life contains some of the most unforgettable moments in cinema. Once George is redeemed, we are treated to a moment of life-affirming splendor which suddenly lifts the spirits of the viewer after the relentless darkness and gloom that has preceded. The snow-storm that only hours earlier mirrored the bleakness of George's situation has now converted Bedford Falls into a winter-wonderland as George races through its streets with a renewed joy for life and all its miraculous beauty.

I don't think I will ever tire of seeing the truly heartwarming final scene in which George finally learns his reward for the sacrifices he has made in life. The best line of the film comes when Harry returns early and offers a toast (`…to my big brother George - the richest man in Bedford Falls') recognizing the real treasure of the friends George has rather than the superficial treasure of material wealth. An impromptu and communal singing of `Auld Lang Syne' then swells into a euphoric crescendo to close the most perfectly crafted film ever committed to celluloid.

This is British television at its worst. I have nothing against gay men or camp comedy but I do have a problem with Norton's puerile and predictable humour. I have probably never seen one of his shows in its entirety but every time I accidentally catch part of a show a sort of morbid curiosity compels to me to keep watching until I can eventually stomach no more.

A typical episode seems to consist of the following;

- a section where members of the audience voluntarily stand up and try to outdo each other with stories of their most outrageous acts - I once saw a man receive rapturous applause from a guffawing Norton and the studio audience for telling a story of how he was once caught using a frozen chicken as a masturbatory aid by his family.

• Norton producing a novelty dildo or sex-toy and demonstrating it to the approving crowd.

• Norton surfing the net to find an American with an obscure sexual perversion and phoning them live on TV in order to make fun of them.

• "interviews" with guests in which Norton will usually bring a once glamorous star down to his level and cram in as much innuendo and penis jokes as possible, accompanied by his annoying laugh.

His material would surely be considered unbroadcastable, offensive and politically incorrect in the hands of a straight comedian but, because it is delivered by a gay man who women don't feel threatened by, it's somehow hip and witty. In truth this is lowest-common-denominator humour whoever it comes from. Depressingly, this most unsophisticated form of humour is lapped up by a worryingly high proportion of 20-30 somethings and it seems as though Graham Norton will be around for a long time yet.

In the past, Channel 4 has been responsible for challenging the boundaries of entertainment and comedy with controversial yet thought-provoking programming. In granting Norton a vehicle to air his own brand of "outrageous" comedy five nights a week, it has merely succeeded in destroying its own credibility and the accolade of being Britain's premier comedy channel.

Shame on you Channel 4.

This is my all-time favourite British film. It is a story of the heartbreak and despair caused when two strangers are brought together by chance and embark on a doomed relationship. Brief Encounter superbly captures the mundanity of suburban middle-class life and yet somehow manages to create more emotional intensity than any other romantic film I have seen. The backdrop of dullness and every-day tedium only seems to enhance the violent and overpowering passions of the two central characters. Lean's subtle direction and the use of black-and-white cinematography are impressive and preferable to his work in later overblown epics whilst Rachmanioff's Second Piano Concerto fits the story perfectly. Trevor Howard is also faultless in his film debut but it's Celia Johnson's understated performance as the tragic Laura that lives in the memory. Her portrayal of the trapped housewife is without equal in modern cinema. This is a film full of soul and emotion and gets better with every viewing.