My Grading System

A+ = Masterpiece (I hold back on this one.) / A = Great. / A- = Really Good. / B+ = Good. / B = Decent (Serviceable). / B- = Flawed but okay (For those times there's something redeeming about the work). / C+ = Not very good (Skip it). C = Bad. / C- = Awful. / F = Complete Disaster (I hold back on this one too).

Note on Spoilers: I will try to avoid ruining a story by going into too much detail. But if I wish to include some revealing points to my analysis I will try to remember to add a separate spoiler paragraph.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939) 6//21

It's ironic that I start rewatching Harry Potter and then see this classic about a school master in the same kind of boarding school setting.  Of course there is no magic here at least real magic.  Here the magic is in the storytelling and in the impressive way this film shows the passage of time.  We watch the entire adult life of Mr. Charles Edward Chipping, from his first days as a teacher to his last.   Robert Donat's transformation is remarkable.  You can see why he won the Oscar that year.  Sam Wood directed a fine film and while at times it's a little sentimental I can understand how it's considered a classic and would recommend it to most people looking for a feel good story.  I was reminded of Mr. Holland's Opus while watching this and can see imagine this is the film they used as their template. So if you liked that modern rendition than you'll like this one too.  Grade: A-.
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