Alicia I love this movie so much

Forumrxes Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

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

Ava-Grace Willis Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Irishchatter You honestly would fall in love with it. Both James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan were just brilliant actors and the love they had for each on the film, was just so genuine and wonderful that you wish you had a boyfriend like James Stewart haha! I just love how he looked at her when her character was not knowing where the love letters came from, it reminded me of the film "You've got mail!" but this one was in classic version!I even didn't know that the man who played the shop owner played the Wizard on the movie "Wizard of Oz", he's a brilliant actor anyway regardless if he came from the movie or not! Its just so good, I feel like this movie made me fall in love with it even more. I give this a 10/10, it is just one of the bests that James Stewart has been involved in!

classicsoncall I'm not really sure if this film qualifies as a Christmas movie but I'm going to add it to my list of holiday films anyway. It has just the right tone and spirit to warm one's heart following a series of misunderstandings between the principals, admirably portrayed by Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart.There's a nice snowfall scene in the picture that calls to mind the town of Bedford Falls from another Stewart classic, "It's a Wonderful Life". Stewart himself evokes an entire range of emotions in his portrayal of lead salesman Alfred Kralik. Just catch his reaction when Klara (Sullavan) stuns him with the remark about being an insignificant little clerk. And this after he realizes that she's his secret sweetheart, which will remain unknown to her until very near the end of the story.Frank Morgan never seems to disappoint in any of his pictures, and I thought he brought a finely subdued element of Professor Marvel to his characterization here of Hugo Matuschek. However I had to wonder whether the story line could have found another way of his dealing with his wife's infidelity rather than contemplating suicide. For a holiday themed picture, that was a rather morose curve ball to throw at the viewer. Fortunately that theme worked itself out favorably but it was rather jarring when encountered as an off screen gunshot.Perhaps the sweetest thing going for the movie was Kralik's early observation that for him, above average beauty wasn't a prerequisite for finding the right woman and falling in love. His simple taste called for a lovely, average girl. The entire time, and even throughout those recurring arguments between Klara and Alfred, the viewer never doubts that that this was a couple made for each other.

dougdoepke On the whole, the movie comes across as good, but over-rated, despite the "Lubitsch touch". Perhaps I was expecting too much. The supposed comedic part doesn't really come off, as its scattered instances quickly bump into a prevailing serious side. Too bad, for example, the screenplay drops in Matuschek's heartbreak over his wife's infidelity so awkwardly. Unfortunately, that comes at expense of the prevailing mood. Nonetheless, the lead roles are poignantly performed by leads Stewart and Sullavan even though they must play out their darker moments. Then too, the plot poses a thoughtful conflict between personalities on paper versus personalities in the flesh. Klara (Sullavan) and Klavik (Stewart) are in love as pen pals, but without knowing their true identities, quarrel constantly in as co-workers in the gift shop. That's an interesting idea since it counterposes constructed identities to real ones, and we wonder which set will prevail. Kudos to production for refusing to glamorize the gift shop staff, especially Klara. Nor, for that matter, is Klara all that likable in her shop work. In fact, the story's almost as much about the shop business as it is about romantic dreams of everyday people. Anyway, there's much to recommend in the 100-minutes, but the overall result is not particularly memorable, Lubitsch or no.

gsygsy The good things: faultless ensemble playing; superb photography, costumes and set dressing; excellent script; perfect pacing, both within scenes and overall. Not-so-good things? Can't think of any.Although the film, in deference to the play on which it is based, is set in Budapest, its themes are eternally human. As is so often the case, emphasis on a particular locality has the paradoxical effect of heightening general truths. It's this that has enabled this wonderful piece to be turned into two musicals and be updated to the digital age with equal success.It does concern me that the sheer joy of this movie might become less appreciated as the years go by. It takes effort to look into films headlined by stars such as Sullavan and directors such as Lubitsch, whose names are not, let's face it, as prominent as they were in their own day. An even worse fate could befall, and perhaps already has befallen, THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER, described on my DVD cover as 'the original of YOU'VE GOT MAIL.' In this case, whatever might be said positively about the update, the original is better, by a long, long way. Lubitsch's film is a classic.