An absolute waste of money

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

I love this film. My father flew bombers in the RAF during WWII and told me the sequence at the beginning was the most realistic representation of a damaged aeroplane in flight he had seen in film. Having said that this is not a war film, it is a charming tale of love, friendship, life and, of course, death. David Niven is his usual convincing self but he doesn't dominate the film in which he stars. (Though it must have been his influence that caused one character to be named Trubshaw.) Roger Livesey, Kim Hunter, and the excellent Raymond Massey make this a rounded film with their portrayals of developed characters. It is beautifully filmed, Kim Hunter's bicycle ride along the beach somehow enchants me. It is a good tale well told and acted. I highly recommend it.

Since I thought Kim Hunter was not up to snuff for "A Streetcar Named Desire" I was thoroughly impressed with her beauty in this crazy number. Exterior shots were not her friend tho but decent acting nonetheless.I did laugh through most of this nutjob ride especially when the new arrivals were picking out their wings vs props. Yet I never saw anyone wear them in the entire film. They probably got tired of gluing them on and knocking them off at Craft Services.The most interesting aspect of this film was trying to figure out who in history I would most like to represent me to keep me from such a lovely existence in Heaven. I first thought of Alexander the Great because he would have liked the French cutie who came to earth with that adorable outfit and would try to impress him. Miracles happen all the time, why does the survival of a pilot have to be such a conundrum? Oh, so we can put the Americans on trial, gotcha! Ol' Bug Eye Massey comes to the rescue to really highlight the age old rivalry between the two countries and picks an all male jury which of course gets replaced instantly with current military men, natch.I will say I was on the edge of my seat waiting for some dancing to bust out on those steps ala Fred n Ginger but alas the famous statues had to suffice, crap.Not sure I can recommend this for any particular reason because there is so much better tripe about Heaven around. However, you do get to hear a wee lecture on the layout of the Universe. Only thousands, not BILLIONS of stars?? Carl Sagan turning in his grave.

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger wrote and directed "A Matter of Life and Death," or "Stairway to Heaven," a fantasy in 1946 and starring David Niven, Kim Hunter, Marius Goring, Robert Coote, Richard Attenborough, Raymond Massey, and Roger Livesey.During and after the war, there were many films about angels, heaven, and spirits after death: "It's a Wonderful Life," "Here Comes Mr. Jordan," "The Bishop's Wife," "Heaven Can Wait" -- the loss of loved ones was part of the collective unconscious. "A Matter of Life and Death" concerns a flyer, Peter Carter (Niven) who is about to die -- his plane and parachute are damaged. He is able to contact someone on the radio, June (Hunter), an American working for the USAAF. She wants to help him, but there's nothing she can do. He has accepted his fate and just wants to hear her comforting voice. If it's possible to fall in love with such a brief contact, they do.Carter jumps out of the plane rather than burn up. He wakes up - still alive. Because of the fog, the "Conductor" from the beyond couldn't find him when it was his time to go. The Conductor does find him 20 hours later. By then, Peter and June have met and know that they are in love. He doesn't want to die, he wants to stay on earth.Carter decides that what happened was through no fault of his own, and he should have a second chance. He is told that he can appeal his case.Was this a dream as a result of brain damage suffered by Carter, for which he later has surgery? Or did he really go to trial in heaven? It's left ambiguous, though some have interpreted it one way or the other.Whether it's a dream or not, it's a beautiful film by the two masters, and beautifully acted. David Niven, always charming and relaxed, is a sympathetic character, as is Hunter, who gives a lovely performance. This film perhaps gave Marius Goring his best role, as the flamboyant Frenchman, the Conductor, though he mainly played character roles effectively. One of the striking things about the film, besides the 5000 extras(!) are all of the young men in uniform pouring into heaven. We only see the reception area, so we don't know what happens after that. It is a sobering sight, and one that didn't surprise any audiences in light of World War II.I love most of Powell-Pressburger films, The Red Shoes and Black Narcissus being my favorites, but this one is up there, too.

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger are the team behind "The Red Shoes", "Black Narcissus". "The Tales of Hoffman", "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp", and this masterwork. They're famous filmmakers for many reasons, one of those reasons including how they used Technicolor in a lot of their films. In this film, both Technicolor and black and white are used. Any scene shot in Technicolor takes place in the real world, any black and white scene takes place in the afterlife.The film is very clever in it's portrayal of the afterlife, and has a lot of fun with the idea. It is creative and very fascinating to watch, and these sequences are the best parts of the whole movie!The rest of the film is quite wonderful, as well. It is clever, romantic, dramatic, and full of twists and turns in an already creative and incredible storyline.Not only is the execution and intelligence of this film amazing, but, on a technical level it is, without a doubt, one of the most technically amazing films of all time. The Powell Pressburger team experiment with using dutch angles, freeze frames, and plenty of other wonderful special effects, including a shot from behind a human eye as it closes.The film is great on every level. It is clever and creative, romantic and heartwarming, beautiful and visually stunning, and just, overall, a really great film!