The Shop Around the Corner

Starring: Margaret Sullivan, James Stewart, Frank Morgan, Joseph Schildkraut
Directed by: Ernst Lubitsch
Rating: Not Rated
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Drama
1940

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A businessman (James Stewart) and his coworker (Margaret Sullivan) fall in love with each other via annonymous pen pal letters. The problem is that in real life, they can't stand each other.

Review:

Tim: I really, really liked You've Got Mail, so I was a little curious as to how I would like this film and how it would rank against its remake. I can happily say that I really enjoyed this movie, and it is almost dead on equal with its more modern update. It is so interesting to watch both and see their similarities and differences.

This movie is interesting because most of it takes place in one little shop and features the interesting roster of employees that work there. Of course, there is a clever little love story in the middle, but there are quite a few subplots that are interesting as well.

I liked James Stewart in the role. It wasn't as memorable as some of his other roles, but no less important. His job here was to be the straight man amid a bunch of zany characters. He does this extremely well, and the entire cast gravitates around him.

The supporting cast is all very, very strong. Margaret Sullivan would not have been my first chocie for the role, but she does the girl-next-door thing pretty well (although she loses hands down to Meg Ryan).

If you liked You've Got Mail, then you should definitely see this movie. It will entertain, make you laugh, and make for a very interesting viewing experience. You can certainly do worse, so look up this film and enjoy yourself.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: You've Got Mail, The Philadelphia Story, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; Bell, Book, and Candle