Everyone has an opinion on what the greatest film ever made is, but I always say there is no way to know. How can you possibly begin to compare Citizen Kane with The Godfather or Jaws? It's absurd! So why is it, every time I see It's A Wonderful Life, am I absolutely convinced that it is The Greatest Film Ever Made? If you're currently rolling your eyes at the idea because of years of indifference, it would be worth your time reconsidering it, especially on this fantastic Blu-Ray release.

It is truly a film everyone can love and no-one has to think of it as a guilty pleasure. The modern equivalent seems to be The Shawshank Redemption, but even that has violence enough to shock your granny. It's A Wonderful Life should be cloyingly sentimental, but it was always Capra's skill to offset his films with enough irony and honesty so it was easy to identify with. In this case everyone remembers Clarence the befuddled angel, rescuing George from a suicide attempt which does sound twee, but actually, that is the last act. The story is about how he gets to that point, so if you have it in your head that it is a fairy-story for fairies, well it's not. It's a good solid drama that soars with a fantasy element we should embrace.

It is possibly the perfect Capra film and I do think it is his best work. He and the cast, working from as sharp and witty a screenplay as they come, play their roles with such deft subtlety that the pacing is utterly perfect. There isn't a note out of place. As an example, consider the scene where George returns home on Christmas Eve, at the end of his tether and hiding his shame by lashing out at his family. It is a sublime scene of pacing, acting and direction. The film as a whole has the rhythm of a musical minus the actual songs.

Arguably, James Stewart was never better than here as George Bailey, convincing utterly as both the ambitious young man, desperate to leave the town, through to middle-age acceptance and the heartbreaking despair that needs divine intervention. As with his roles in Vertigo or another Capra, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, there are layers to George you may not expect to find, especially in a film so often taken for granted. Lionel Barrymore (the manipulative Mr. Potter) and Thomas Mitchell (Uncle Billy) are both excellent too; especially in the awful moment that Uncle Billy makes an innocent mistake. Even the bit-parts like Ward Bond have their moments and all make a mark. Donna Reed may be the most inspired casting of all. She is wonderful and who wouldn't consider spending their whole lives in the same place if she was there too? She is George's and the stories anchor. And finally there is Clarence of course, played by Henry Travers. A relatively small part, but ubiquitous to the story.

The film looks astonishing on Blu-Ray with a striking image that puts many modern releases to shame. It also includes a colourised version. Although no self-respecting film fan would give it the time of day, there is no denying they have done an incredible job and it makes for an interesting curiosity, so long as its quality doesn't cause more to be given the same treatment.

This Christmas, don't rely on the predictable TV broadcast. Get the Blu-Ray and watch it properly. It deserves respect and you won't regret a moment of it. In any form, it isn't the greatest film ever made of course. Such a notion is absurd. Or is it?