Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life

A slip of the tongue by actor Peter Capaldi's wife inspired him to write and make this Oscar winning gem. Richard E. Grant gives wonderful performance as the tortured Franz Kafka who struggles with the opening line of 'Metamorphosis' amid the distractions of his dark and sinister rooming house. Disturbances include a girls party, a lady trying to deliver a giant insect costume' and a psychotic knife sharpener, (another marvellous performance by Ken Stott),who has lost his little friend.

The black and white cutaway sequences showing his various inspirations for Gregor transformations are hilarious. The final scene, where the story strands are tied up and all the characters brought together in a twisted version of the finale of 'It's a Wonderful Life' is funny and moving at the same time.

The perfect Christmas film for the slightly odd.

Inventive and artistic, this beautiful flight of imagination is one of the greatest ideas ever composed and translated into a delightful cinematic experience. Matching together the creative genius of Franz Kafka with the positive outcomes of Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" the short tells the difficult process of creating a novel, not in the sense of being something to be read but something to be felt and comprehended by readers of different generations, the greatest testament an artist can give to humanity. And believe it or not, one exact word can make a complete difference in a writing work. This strenuous mind exercise coming from a writer is the problematic basis for this amazing short film.

Peter Capaldi imagines the conception of the now famed masterpiece "The Metamorphosis" with Kafka (played by Richard E. Grant) having a terrible writer's block in the very first sentence, the classical "As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect". But here, he doesn't know what Gregor is about to be transformed not only because of his block but that also relates with distractions around him, with his loud neighbors celebrating a Christmas party and interrupting visitors who appear from time to time. What he least expects is that those individuals and the strange situations they're involved may be of help for his book.

The mixture of elements, although strange and sometimes a little inadequate, is a good one. We have Kafka writing Gregor's story, then there's few glimpses of Gregor being transformed into multiple things before his final destination. Opressively, dramatic and spooky moments mixed with some strange humor, very characteristic in the works of the Polish writer. Later on the cheerful and bright conclusion borrowed from Capra's release comes along with a certain moral of the story that was a little off-suiting for this movie. It's one way of seeing things and it might work best with those who know little about the life and work of Franz Kafka, commonly known for sad and darker stories.

I only disagree with the treatment given to the main character played as if being a soft version of Ebenezer Scrooge, far from the timid and repressed view given of Kafka in biographies. But Mr. Grant was good, just as effective as the mysterious man played by Ken Stott. And it's good to know that it all paid off, this Burtonesque film was agraciated with the Oscar as Best Short - Live Action, tied with "Trevor" and one Bafta. And who could have imagined that the hilarious performer of Malcolm Tucker is not only a great actor but also a talented writer and director. This is a solid proof. 9/10

When I saw this, I was intrigued. I was pleasantly suprised at it's dark, yet light style of wit. It will make you tense, then you will laugh.

To describe it is really to give a lot away. Just check it out if you get a chance.

Reality. It's a funny thing. Franz Kafka was a devoted Torah Jew. Therefore, it's difficult to plumb the depths to how vapid this "Academy Award-winning" short is. Rather than being a melange of styles which would make Kafka or Capra proud, it is a strange adaptation of, really, Dickens. I guess Kafka has similar phonemes to Capra, which has similar look to Capaldi, and we are all supposed to be mesmerized that Dr. Who wrote a teleplay.

But even IF Kafka celebrated Christmas, which he most assuredly did not, or even IF Kafka resided in some neo-Victorian hostel, which he most assuredly did not, this "comedy" is unfunny, the "originality" is repetitive, and the sanctimoniousness with which it is presented, is both sleep-inducing and nausea-inducing.

The special effects are only fair, the story makes absolutely no sense, the comic timing is WAY off, and it is NOT true that it rivals ANY Monty Python episode or vignette for larfs or snarfs. There is nothing surreal here, nothing paranoid, nothing noir - in short, nothing Kafkaesque. It is NOT Capraesque either, but merely a shadow of Dickensian which ought to star Burl Ives and Jaclyn Smith.

I love Kafka and Kafkaesque. The Trial is one of my favorites. Metamorphosis is grand. This is drek.

A fascinating and unique film from the BBC which received much critical buzz in England, though relatively little attention stateside. 'Tis a pity, as the colonists would get a kick out of it.