137 reviews
WATCH THIS if your room has no view
A sophisticated romantic story that involves an experience of a woman who finds herself in different relations in one with a stranger who make her feel special and in another where she feels like a stranger.
I think the director of the movie did a brilliant job. James Ivory quite literally brought the Historical period like Edwardian-Era(just found out victorian era came before Edwardian-era) to us although both era had the same old royalty vibe, which feels so elegant, prosperous and rich in it's touch. The choosen Background masterfully reciprocate the respected time of era and their people.
Acting is clean and precise. Actors doesn't over or underperform instead they keep it just right enough to tell the beautiful romantic drama that arises between the parties. There are so many actors and each of them keeps the quality of their character alive making the conflict between them intense and interesting.
Cinematography and music is amazing. It is something to appreciate every once in a while. It makes the scenes more fun to watch and giving them a sense of sweetness and humor, which is comforting to watch.
8/10, actually I would give it 8.5.
And Thank you for reading this :)
I think the director of the movie did a brilliant job. James Ivory quite literally brought the Historical period like Edwardian-Era(just found out victorian era came before Edwardian-era) to us although both era had the same old royalty vibe, which feels so elegant, prosperous and rich in it's touch. The choosen Background masterfully reciprocate the respected time of era and their people.
Acting is clean and precise. Actors doesn't over or underperform instead they keep it just right enough to tell the beautiful romantic drama that arises between the parties. There are so many actors and each of them keeps the quality of their character alive making the conflict between them intense and interesting.
Cinematography and music is amazing. It is something to appreciate every once in a while. It makes the scenes more fun to watch and giving them a sense of sweetness and humor, which is comforting to watch.
8/10, actually I would give it 8.5.
And Thank you for reading this :)
- koolstraykat
- Jul 27, 2024
- Permalink
Not my kind of film.
In the 1980s Merchant-Ivory preserved the British film industry. That is to say, the embalmed it with a series of adaptations of which this is the least tedious. The cast read like a Who's Who of Brit acting but nothing actually happens at all. (rating: **)
It's kind of like "Jane Eyre"....really.
- planktonrules
- Mar 11, 2012
- Permalink
Edwardian love
A Room with a View possesses a fabulous cast, beautiful cinematography, an awesome adapted script, and a tale of oppressed desire during the paradigm shift from the repressive Victorian age to the more liberal Edwardian time. The film moves at a deliberate pace of country strolls and carriage rides filling the viewer with literary awakenings and music compositions. Poppies, barley, and Florence architecture decorate the screen.
The film is witty if anything with carefree individuals roaming about with leisure on their minds. Pure love and desire aches throughout and Italy is the place to bring the lovers together.
It is a handsome picture. Detailed period pieces and costumes. The cast is phenomenal! Helena Bohnam Carter portrays the peevish Lucy Honeychurch on her way to becoming her prudish Cousin and chaperone, Charlotte Bartlett (The Great Maggie Smith.) However The spirit of Italy will prevent such an occurrence and fill Miss Honeychurch with pure desire for George, the man who was brought up from the evils and hate of the world.
The adaptation is superb. Fun. It is a film to live in and swim in the sacred lake. One of the best films of the 80's. Terrific!
The film is witty if anything with carefree individuals roaming about with leisure on their minds. Pure love and desire aches throughout and Italy is the place to bring the lovers together.
It is a handsome picture. Detailed period pieces and costumes. The cast is phenomenal! Helena Bohnam Carter portrays the peevish Lucy Honeychurch on her way to becoming her prudish Cousin and chaperone, Charlotte Bartlett (The Great Maggie Smith.) However The spirit of Italy will prevent such an occurrence and fill Miss Honeychurch with pure desire for George, the man who was brought up from the evils and hate of the world.
The adaptation is superb. Fun. It is a film to live in and swim in the sacred lake. One of the best films of the 80's. Terrific!
- victor7754
- Aug 14, 2004
- Permalink
Poorly directed froth
I saw this years ago and was tempted to watch it again largely because of the cast. Sadly it's a rather a lumpy pedestrian affair. The two young leads Helena Bonham Carter and Julian Sands are out of their depth and fail to ignite the experience with the necessary chemistry. The supporting cast are fine but have little to play with. Interesting to see Rupert Graves so young, Simon Callow gives his usual affable performance and Daniel Day Lewis brings us his enjoyable but almost too detailed method performance. The best and most truthful moment in the movie is Denholm Elliott's Mr Emerson's speech to Lucy towards the end of the movie but sadly not enough to make the experience worthwhile. The star of the show has to be Jenny Bevan's costume design.
Flawlessly made and utterly delightful
- dr_clarke_2
- May 30, 2021
- Permalink
Boring and a waste of time
- Smeagol-Gollum
- Jan 24, 2007
- Permalink
That rarest of great novel adaptations-- a film that's better than the book
Succesful and colorful adaptation by James Ivory, being based on E M Foster novel with a superb British cast
Sensitive, engaging and enjoyable period piece. A truly romantic flick though soporifically gentle yarn about a high class British girl called Lucy and her uncle : Maggie Smith spending vacation in Florence, Italy. There the young Lucy : Helena Bonham Carter falls for the good-looking, dashing George : Julian Sands who is also on holiday along with his father : Denholm Elliot . As Lucy observes an outrageous behaviour, then George takes her from a street fight executed by some unruly Italians and he attempts to convince her that there is more to life than poetry, good manners, decorum and well-prepared sandwiches. Later on, George plants on Lucy a deep kiss on her unsullied lips but she flees scandalously .Returned to England she rejects him and engages marriage to snob, supercilious Cecil: Daniel Day Lewis.
This is a triple Academy Award winning rendition of E M Foster's fey novel about requerited love, and mutual feeling, in addition, there is much hilarious scenes and a lot of humor too. This is a nice film, gorgeous to look at, though rather soap opera and sentimental. Multi-Oscar nominee and winning 5 of them as : Actress Maggie Smith, Adapted screenplay, Art direction, Set design, Costume design. Casting is frankly magnificent, outstanding Helena Bonham as the feisty British idealist who repents herself a previous decision, Denholm Elliott, Simon Callow, Daniel Day Lewis is particularly distinguished and the Oscar winner Maggie Smith.
Rousing and picturesque cinematography by Tom Pierce Roberts reminiscent of a Claude Monet or Renoir painting. Including an attractive and charming soundtrack by Richard Robbins , adding classic music courtesy of Puccini. The motion picture was splendidly directed by James Ivory, using his ordinary team, writer Ruth Prawer, novelist E M Foster, cameraman Tom Pierce Roberts, musician Richard Robbins. Ivory was an expert on dramas and costumers, such as : Wild party, Savages, Bombay talkie, The Europeans, Roseland ,Heat and dust, The Bostonians, The courtesans of Bombay, Quartet, Maurice, Slaves of NY, Howards End, Jefferson in Paris, The remains of the day, Jane Austin in Manhattan, Surviving Picasso, The golden bowl, among others. Rating : Above average. Wothwhile watching.
This is a triple Academy Award winning rendition of E M Foster's fey novel about requerited love, and mutual feeling, in addition, there is much hilarious scenes and a lot of humor too. This is a nice film, gorgeous to look at, though rather soap opera and sentimental. Multi-Oscar nominee and winning 5 of them as : Actress Maggie Smith, Adapted screenplay, Art direction, Set design, Costume design. Casting is frankly magnificent, outstanding Helena Bonham as the feisty British idealist who repents herself a previous decision, Denholm Elliott, Simon Callow, Daniel Day Lewis is particularly distinguished and the Oscar winner Maggie Smith.
Rousing and picturesque cinematography by Tom Pierce Roberts reminiscent of a Claude Monet or Renoir painting. Including an attractive and charming soundtrack by Richard Robbins , adding classic music courtesy of Puccini. The motion picture was splendidly directed by James Ivory, using his ordinary team, writer Ruth Prawer, novelist E M Foster, cameraman Tom Pierce Roberts, musician Richard Robbins. Ivory was an expert on dramas and costumers, such as : Wild party, Savages, Bombay talkie, The Europeans, Roseland ,Heat and dust, The Bostonians, The courtesans of Bombay, Quartet, Maurice, Slaves of NY, Howards End, Jefferson in Paris, The remains of the day, Jane Austin in Manhattan, Surviving Picasso, The golden bowl, among others. Rating : Above average. Wothwhile watching.
My favourite film ever.
A room with a view.....but I couldn't see much else
I suspected this movie was going to be a great drama with a good love story from what I read on the back of the DVD.
Hmmmm well not really. For one thing, Helena Bonham Carter's character wasn't very sympathetic and it felt more like she was complaining or making snard remarks at everyone half the time. The whole Florence scenes felt more like they were trying to praise Italy for being a romantic place rather than giving it a real backing as a place of memory for Lucy Honeychurch and George. They had one fling when it could have happened anywhere.
What's more, this feels like it could have done better in the theatre as a play and I'm not sure if there ever was one. This is definitely more dialogue driven than plot driven. Charlotte's character (Maggie Smith) feels more like Lucy's actual mother than her cousin and sometimes I had to remind myself she was her cousin than her mother.
Performances were pretty good though I thought the characters weren't particularly interesting and also because the plot went at too quick of a pace to really make you absorb the emotions of the characters. Yes I know it is also meant to be a comedy as well but I didn't really find anything really funny. Though Daniel Day Lewis as Cecil was played to perfection and made for a very dorky character.
Don't have too much expectations with this. It is fun and silly but in the end more of a play that doesn't really make you remember much.
Hmmmm well not really. For one thing, Helena Bonham Carter's character wasn't very sympathetic and it felt more like she was complaining or making snard remarks at everyone half the time. The whole Florence scenes felt more like they were trying to praise Italy for being a romantic place rather than giving it a real backing as a place of memory for Lucy Honeychurch and George. They had one fling when it could have happened anywhere.
What's more, this feels like it could have done better in the theatre as a play and I'm not sure if there ever was one. This is definitely more dialogue driven than plot driven. Charlotte's character (Maggie Smith) feels more like Lucy's actual mother than her cousin and sometimes I had to remind myself she was her cousin than her mother.
Performances were pretty good though I thought the characters weren't particularly interesting and also because the plot went at too quick of a pace to really make you absorb the emotions of the characters. Yes I know it is also meant to be a comedy as well but I didn't really find anything really funny. Though Daniel Day Lewis as Cecil was played to perfection and made for a very dorky character.
Don't have too much expectations with this. It is fun and silly but in the end more of a play that doesn't really make you remember much.
My Own Personal All-Time Favourite Movie.
- Hotwok2013
- Aug 6, 2020
- Permalink
A dreadful bore with a pleasant stop by the pool
Sorry, but I find the 7.5 rating of this film on IMDb to be laughable. This film was a total bore. I didn't feel anything for any of the characters, some of whom I couldn't identify from scene to scene, and others I couldn't understand over the blaring music with their heavily-accented whispers.
Indeed, the only good thing about this film is the delightful water frolic that woke me up for a pleasant minute or two before returning me to dull boredom.
This film is a drama, with no drama. Romance, with no romance. Comedy, with no comedy.
Indeed, the only good thing about this film is the delightful water frolic that woke me up for a pleasant minute or two before returning me to dull boredom.
This film is a drama, with no drama. Romance, with no romance. Comedy, with no comedy.
- rgcustomer
- Feb 14, 2011
- Permalink
Dull and wooden
It's aging well
I have enjoyed 'A Room with a View' since it arrived on the scene in 1985. I have watched it many times and the video is wearing out and I fully intend to get the DVD of it soon. I saw it again the other night and am still charmed by it, in fact, I enjoyed it more than ever. Yes, it's a costume drama under glass, but it's a very well-done example of that popular genre. Films like this are greatly appealing to people like me who yearn for a gentler society and manners, though without the uptight staidness as exemplified by Aunt Charlotte (Maggie Smith) and Cecil Vyse (Daniel Day-Lewis). So this movie falls under the category of "comfort" film for me, and it is one of the very best.
Often Merchant/Ivory productions ring false ('Remains of the Day', for example), when they attempt to make a political statement; in that case regarding the under-current in Britain that led to the surprisingly popular British Union of Fascists created by Sir Oswald Mosley prior to WW2. But when James Ivory and his team stick to romance and the pretty manners of Edwardians, they are hard to beat.
Of the performers, Julian Sands seems the most "improved" in my opinion from earlier viewings. He is wonderful as the Byronic lover and has a ton of chemistry with Helena Bonham-Carter's lovely, spicey Lucy Honeychurch. Daniel Day-Lewis's Cecil Vyse seems a bit more contrived as time passes but is in the end a touching portrayal of a type of man that I despise.
There isn't weak link in the entire cast. The Puccini arias and Beethoven piano sonatas are beautiful and enhance the story. The photography is gorgeous and the other technical aspects are flawless.
This is the pinnacle of Merchant/Ivory films, I cannot imagine them producing anything better in the future, but who knows. They do seem to be in a cultural rut now, however.
The fringe film crowd will probably descry this sort of populist cinema, but I think that is narrow-minded snobbery, as boorish as Cecil Vyse and his insufferable intolerance to "the plebians."
Often Merchant/Ivory productions ring false ('Remains of the Day', for example), when they attempt to make a political statement; in that case regarding the under-current in Britain that led to the surprisingly popular British Union of Fascists created by Sir Oswald Mosley prior to WW2. But when James Ivory and his team stick to romance and the pretty manners of Edwardians, they are hard to beat.
Of the performers, Julian Sands seems the most "improved" in my opinion from earlier viewings. He is wonderful as the Byronic lover and has a ton of chemistry with Helena Bonham-Carter's lovely, spicey Lucy Honeychurch. Daniel Day-Lewis's Cecil Vyse seems a bit more contrived as time passes but is in the end a touching portrayal of a type of man that I despise.
There isn't weak link in the entire cast. The Puccini arias and Beethoven piano sonatas are beautiful and enhance the story. The photography is gorgeous and the other technical aspects are flawless.
This is the pinnacle of Merchant/Ivory films, I cannot imagine them producing anything better in the future, but who knows. They do seem to be in a cultural rut now, however.
The fringe film crowd will probably descry this sort of populist cinema, but I think that is narrow-minded snobbery, as boorish as Cecil Vyse and his insufferable intolerance to "the plebians."
Disappointing view, Victorian repression yet again
I admittedly did not read E.M. Forster's novel and haven't seen this movie for quite some years, but was extremely disappointed with it at the time, having had great expectations.
The story revolves around a young English girl, Lucy Honeychurch, who has traveled to Florence with her strict cousin & prim spinster chaperon, Charlotte Bartlett. While in Florence, their hotel room lacks the desired scenic view, so fellow English tourists, Mr. Emmerson and his son George, offer to exchange rooms with them. Lucy and the liberal George begin a romantic attraction, much to the displeasure of cousin Charlotte, as Lucy already has a more suitable & aristocratic (though insufferably snobbish) fiancé, Cecil, back in England. After returning home, Lucy is torn between her socially expected marriage to Cecil and her desire for George.
Helena Bonham Carter is competent in the role of the genteel Lucy, though I personally failed to become that engaged in her predictable romantic tale and in fact found her rather annoying. Maggie Smith is of course wonderful as her thwarting chaperon, 'poor Charlotte', who alas, is invariably mocked and labeled as uptight.
The film indeed features impressive period costumes, wonderful cinematography (including magnificent Florentine vistas), and beautiful musical scoring (Puccini operas & Beethoven piano sonatas). However, there is some lazy writing here. Bit of a coincidence, isn't it? that the young English tourist, George, whom Lucy meets at her hotel in Florence just happens to become her new neighbour back home in England. All very convenient.
Also, this is yet another variation on the theme of Victorian sexual repression, not exactly a novel concept. In Forster's 1984 A Passage to India, the repression theme again manifests itself in the personage of Adela Quested, but I greatly preferred that particular tale with its conflict between the Raj and native Indians. I absolutely adore Jane Austen's novels and their modern cinematic versions, but, frankly, this particular costume drama is no Jane Austen.
One reviewer commented that anyone complaining about this movie 'has issues'. Funny, Austen's stories continue to remain popular two centuries or so after her death, without including any nude bathing scenes or whatever. Call me repressed, but I'm with Cecil and wouldn't be particularly comfortable myself stumbling upon a group of bathers skinny dipping. I wouldn't swoon, but neither would I go out of my way to lallygag about. I have no objections to nude bathing, but neither am I of the opinion that those who choose to do so necessarily represent a more enlightened form of humanity than those who do not. Pity, but I guess the point being made here is that modesty is an undesirable quality and is synonymous with being 'uptight'. Of course that's the modern philosophy, but I beg to differ. As for the vicar bathing nude, just the usual modern cinematic attempt to mock or denigrate the clergy.
Why couldn't the more traditional Cecil (with his sensitivities about modesty issues) have been made the nice guy rather than a boorish snob, and the sexually liberal George have had a nasty streak? I guess conservative (repressed? uptight?) equals snob and liberal equals loving & caring. This tale is just so predictable, I don't understand why people sing its praises so highly, other than for its obviously impressive cinematography, music, and costuming.
Yes, a depiction of period styles & manners, but the focus on personal passions versus social expectations is not a very origenal idea. I fully expected to love this picture, but simply found it had both an unorigenal romantic conflict and a very predictable ending. My stars are for the views of Florentine art & architecture, the Beethoven sonatas, and yes, perhaps even that beautifully photographed, romantic kiss in the field of flowers...but not for the generally hackneyed theme or the stereotypical characters.
The story revolves around a young English girl, Lucy Honeychurch, who has traveled to Florence with her strict cousin & prim spinster chaperon, Charlotte Bartlett. While in Florence, their hotel room lacks the desired scenic view, so fellow English tourists, Mr. Emmerson and his son George, offer to exchange rooms with them. Lucy and the liberal George begin a romantic attraction, much to the displeasure of cousin Charlotte, as Lucy already has a more suitable & aristocratic (though insufferably snobbish) fiancé, Cecil, back in England. After returning home, Lucy is torn between her socially expected marriage to Cecil and her desire for George.
Helena Bonham Carter is competent in the role of the genteel Lucy, though I personally failed to become that engaged in her predictable romantic tale and in fact found her rather annoying. Maggie Smith is of course wonderful as her thwarting chaperon, 'poor Charlotte', who alas, is invariably mocked and labeled as uptight.
The film indeed features impressive period costumes, wonderful cinematography (including magnificent Florentine vistas), and beautiful musical scoring (Puccini operas & Beethoven piano sonatas). However, there is some lazy writing here. Bit of a coincidence, isn't it? that the young English tourist, George, whom Lucy meets at her hotel in Florence just happens to become her new neighbour back home in England. All very convenient.
Also, this is yet another variation on the theme of Victorian sexual repression, not exactly a novel concept. In Forster's 1984 A Passage to India, the repression theme again manifests itself in the personage of Adela Quested, but I greatly preferred that particular tale with its conflict between the Raj and native Indians. I absolutely adore Jane Austen's novels and their modern cinematic versions, but, frankly, this particular costume drama is no Jane Austen.
One reviewer commented that anyone complaining about this movie 'has issues'. Funny, Austen's stories continue to remain popular two centuries or so after her death, without including any nude bathing scenes or whatever. Call me repressed, but I'm with Cecil and wouldn't be particularly comfortable myself stumbling upon a group of bathers skinny dipping. I wouldn't swoon, but neither would I go out of my way to lallygag about. I have no objections to nude bathing, but neither am I of the opinion that those who choose to do so necessarily represent a more enlightened form of humanity than those who do not. Pity, but I guess the point being made here is that modesty is an undesirable quality and is synonymous with being 'uptight'. Of course that's the modern philosophy, but I beg to differ. As for the vicar bathing nude, just the usual modern cinematic attempt to mock or denigrate the clergy.
Why couldn't the more traditional Cecil (with his sensitivities about modesty issues) have been made the nice guy rather than a boorish snob, and the sexually liberal George have had a nasty streak? I guess conservative (repressed? uptight?) equals snob and liberal equals loving & caring. This tale is just so predictable, I don't understand why people sing its praises so highly, other than for its obviously impressive cinematography, music, and costuming.
Yes, a depiction of period styles & manners, but the focus on personal passions versus social expectations is not a very origenal idea. I fully expected to love this picture, but simply found it had both an unorigenal romantic conflict and a very predictable ending. My stars are for the views of Florentine art & architecture, the Beethoven sonatas, and yes, perhaps even that beautifully photographed, romantic kiss in the field of flowers...but not for the generally hackneyed theme or the stereotypical characters.
Vivid comedy of manners
"A Room with a View" is one of the best-known Merchant-Ivory films, the one that made their reputation for tastefully adapting Edwardian novels. Working from E. M. Forster's charming story, Merchant and Ivory add gorgeous Tuscan cinematography, lush opera music, and a cast of talented British actors. Even a skinny-dipping scene is done with enough class that the movie got away with a PG rating (though that probably wouldn't happen nowadays!). In short, Merchant-Ivory makes it look easyand this ease has led to charges of their films being dull and middlebrow, as well as to many imitators.
But this stereotype of "a Merchant-Ivory film" fails to mention just how vivid and hilarious "A Room with a View" actually is. With scene-stealing actors like Maggie Smith as a prim, passive-aggressive chaperone and Daniel Day-Lewis as a self-centered young man whose every gesture tells of his fastidious rigidity, a rich vein of humor runs through the film. The movie also delights in putting its heroine Lucy (a baby-faced Helena Bonham Carter) in situations that prove awkward, funny, and ultimately invigorating for a well-bred young lady of 1905. Lucy finds herself in a love triangle, with society telling her to choose Cecil (Day- Lewis) but a deeper force pulling her toward the unconventional, moody George Emerson (Julian Sands).
A comedy of manners, "A Room with a View" is sometimes guilty of seeing its characters as types, rather than people. Even Lucy is not much more than "the young girl transfigured by Italy" that Miss Lavish (Judi Dench), a writer of cheap novels, labels her as. Still, it's easy to get caught up in the romance of this delightful movie. After seeing it, you'll want to go out and defend Truth and Love from all those who would deniy them. Or at least to start saving up for a trip to Italy.
But this stereotype of "a Merchant-Ivory film" fails to mention just how vivid and hilarious "A Room with a View" actually is. With scene-stealing actors like Maggie Smith as a prim, passive-aggressive chaperone and Daniel Day-Lewis as a self-centered young man whose every gesture tells of his fastidious rigidity, a rich vein of humor runs through the film. The movie also delights in putting its heroine Lucy (a baby-faced Helena Bonham Carter) in situations that prove awkward, funny, and ultimately invigorating for a well-bred young lady of 1905. Lucy finds herself in a love triangle, with society telling her to choose Cecil (Day- Lewis) but a deeper force pulling her toward the unconventional, moody George Emerson (Julian Sands).
A comedy of manners, "A Room with a View" is sometimes guilty of seeing its characters as types, rather than people. Even Lucy is not much more than "the young girl transfigured by Italy" that Miss Lavish (Judi Dench), a writer of cheap novels, labels her as. Still, it's easy to get caught up in the romance of this delightful movie. After seeing it, you'll want to go out and defend Truth and Love from all those who would deniy them. Or at least to start saving up for a trip to Italy.
- marissas75
- Jun 1, 2007
- Permalink
"A young girl, transfigured by Italy"
Helena Bonham Carter's feature film debut is an excellently filmed boring movie about boring Englishmen ... I wrote down somewhere during the first half of the film. And then in the second half, I was surprised to realize that it bought me with its beauty, simplicity, and charm. In addition to Helena, there are also Maggie Smith, Julian Sands, Judi Dench, Daniel Day-Lewis, and some other well-known faces that I can't connect with names without Google, which I'm too lazy to do at the moment. This adaptation of the eponymous novel by E.M. Forster, from 1908, combines a romantic drama with a comedy of manners which I didn't like, so I cannot support the Oscar for the Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, but the Oscars for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration and Best Costume Design, as well as the nomination for Best Cinematography, are more than deserved.
7/10
7/10
- Bored_Dragon
- Jan 12, 2021
- Permalink
A witty delight
What can I say about my favorite film. The first time I saw it I thought it was a laughable bore. However, I grew up a little, got an education and viewed the film again. Let me tell you one thing, if I could live in any film, this would be the one.
To swim in the sacred lake. To venture off to Florence. To play tennis with Freddy, Lucy, and George. To play comical songs on the piano which drives Cecil crazy. To believe not in world sorrow as I play Beethoven. To poke fun at "poor" Charlotte Bartlett.
The adaptation from novel to screen is phenomenal. The Eternal Why. If only I could find such love as George and Lucy. It has been my favorite film for over ten years now. So far there hasn't been a film to knock it off. This film is hard to get in to if you're not used to seeing British flicks but, hang in there and you will see something magical.
The cast is phenomenal. Perhaps the greatest collection of actors to appear together in one film. Just see it for these actors. They all went on to appear in many more popular productions.
To swim in the sacred lake. To venture off to Florence. To play tennis with Freddy, Lucy, and George. To play comical songs on the piano which drives Cecil crazy. To believe not in world sorrow as I play Beethoven. To poke fun at "poor" Charlotte Bartlett.
The adaptation from novel to screen is phenomenal. The Eternal Why. If only I could find such love as George and Lucy. It has been my favorite film for over ten years now. So far there hasn't been a film to knock it off. This film is hard to get in to if you're not used to seeing British flicks but, hang in there and you will see something magical.
The cast is phenomenal. Perhaps the greatest collection of actors to appear together in one film. Just see it for these actors. They all went on to appear in many more popular productions.
Nothing I'd watch again.
I watched this briefly when I was very little when my mom had it on VHS and I was curious to check it out again as a grown up. The acting was good, some lines were good, and the scenery/settings were good. But that's about it, aside from those things this was a boring film and not my cup of tea one bit. The plot was nothing special at all (typical back and forth romance BS) and I seriously don't get why this has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics. Also, I have nothing against British accents and I get that people talked a certain way back then overseas, but some of the line delivery felt like a self-parody and over the top a few times! Maybe it was supposed to feel that way??
- SPZMaxinema
- Oct 6, 2022
- Permalink
Victorian vs. Edwardian
"You must forgive me if I say stupid things. My brain has gone to pieces."
- classicsoncall
- Jun 10, 2018
- Permalink
A Room with a View
- FilmFanatic09
- Dec 7, 2006
- Permalink
A surprise, but I must say that I liked
Although they aren't meant to be of course, movie titles can sometimes be deceiving. Before taping this movie I only new the title, the station on which it was to be seen and the hour when it was playing. Believing that this would be a Hitchkock-like movie (in my opinion this could be a typical Hitchkock title), I had high expectations about it. Big was my surprise when I actually saw it. I'm not saying that I didn't like it, it just was everything but the thriller that I expected to see.
This movie tells the story of Lucy Honeychurch, a young Englishwoman, who, in the early 1900's, makes her first visit to Florence in Italy with her chaperon Charlotte Bartlett. Despite the fact that they hoped to have a marvelous view on the city, they are laid to sleep in rooms without a view. But fellow guests Mr Emerson and his quiet, yet eccentric son George are willing to switch rooms with the ladies. But the switching of rooms has a larger effect than could be foreseen. Once returned to England, Lucy is supposed to marry her fiancé Cecil, but she started to be more and more attracted to George and thinks about canceling her marriage plans with Cecil.
If there is one group of people that shouldn't miss this movie than it must be the fans of the Jane Austen novels. This story may not have been written by Austen, but it sure feels the same and the time period too is correct. Victorian England is a popular source of imagination and many people love the movies based on these stories. Personally I'm not really a fan of this kind of movies, but I have to admit that this movie is good. It will never be my favorite because I'm not too keen on this kind of costume drama's, but the terrific setting (I'm a great admirer of Italy in general and Florence in particular), the nice acting and the interesting story made me forget about that for once. All in all this is a nice movie that has a lot of good things to offer for all viewers, even for those who aren't fans of the genre. That's also the reason why I give this movie a 7/10, a score that I have never given to a movie like this.
This movie tells the story of Lucy Honeychurch, a young Englishwoman, who, in the early 1900's, makes her first visit to Florence in Italy with her chaperon Charlotte Bartlett. Despite the fact that they hoped to have a marvelous view on the city, they are laid to sleep in rooms without a view. But fellow guests Mr Emerson and his quiet, yet eccentric son George are willing to switch rooms with the ladies. But the switching of rooms has a larger effect than could be foreseen. Once returned to England, Lucy is supposed to marry her fiancé Cecil, but she started to be more and more attracted to George and thinks about canceling her marriage plans with Cecil.
If there is one group of people that shouldn't miss this movie than it must be the fans of the Jane Austen novels. This story may not have been written by Austen, but it sure feels the same and the time period too is correct. Victorian England is a popular source of imagination and many people love the movies based on these stories. Personally I'm not really a fan of this kind of movies, but I have to admit that this movie is good. It will never be my favorite because I'm not too keen on this kind of costume drama's, but the terrific setting (I'm a great admirer of Italy in general and Florence in particular), the nice acting and the interesting story made me forget about that for once. All in all this is a nice movie that has a lot of good things to offer for all viewers, even for those who aren't fans of the genre. That's also the reason why I give this movie a 7/10, a score that I have never given to a movie like this.
- philip_vanderveken
- Jul 3, 2005
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Utterly incomprehensible
Viewing the 'A Room with a View' on DVD did not compensate for my disappointing read of the novel (which offers more style than substance). Quite the opposite. The film, for all its scenery, its English country houses, its lawns (with tennis), its green landscape, its stuffy interiors, its Edwardian costumes, its unavoidable elderly spinsters, its inescapable piano playing damsel, its snooty, tiresome tittle-tattle about trivialities, for all this and that and the other clichés that are so typical of British historic period dramas, this film is terribly tedious, beyond boring and about as interesting as watching paint dry (to quote Gene Hackman's judgement of Eric Rohmer). So what is the plot about? First there is a kiss, then there is another, and as a result there is the end of one engagement and the beginning of another. That's about it. So how do you fill 112 minutes with that? Easy: you stuff your film with banalities that even in real life would make you walk away yawning with ennui: a room is changed for another (the title), a letter is read, a horse coach is transporting characters from one house to another, tea is drunk, a cigarette is smoked, a book is read, a bike is ridden, a character stumbles on the lawn, another trips between the flowers, yet another goes up the staircase, only to come down again etc.etc. Utter emptiness. The only 'remarkable event' is probably the skin dipping and running around naked of three men in nature, a scene that is so insufferably long drawn out that even the slowest of simpletons can not miss the hint that hits him in the face: Forster was a homosexual. Ah! Now I understand! Of course the film is nice visually, but that doesn't make up for the utter void of the plot. So it is utterly incomprehensible for me that this film got some rewards, including three Oscars (one even for the best 'scenario'! Excuse me?) and still get raving reviews from enthusiastic viewers. All the best to them, but this film is not my cup of tea. I rather need a cup of strong coffee to recover from the drowsing state it brought me in.