Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

Favouring tuba over wealth, the newly-made multimillionaire Longfellow Deeds is willy-nilly tossed into scheming New York for his sudden inheritance. Beset by crooked lawyers, he is also targeted by a deceitful star reporter who gets her top story by headlining him as the ‘Cinderella Man’. As his act of generosity to give away his fortune is seen as lunacy, he struggles to maintain his integrity against the establishment. Spurred along by the impressive performances of Cooper and Arthur, Frank Capra’s shrewd and lively rom-com that won him a second Oscar is an archetypal goodwill fantasy – a striking contrast with the Coen Brothers’ dark humour in The Hudsucker Proxy .

Academy Awards: Best Director

Venice Film Festival: Special Recommendation

10/9 (Sun): Film talk with Derek Lam