Storyline
Nominated for eight Academy Awars (1986), including Best Picture, and winner of three, Adapted Screenplay, Costume Design and Art Direction, A ROOM WITH A VIEW is the film that cemented the reputation of Merchant Ivory as masters of the period film. A brilliant adaption of E.M. Forster's novel, A ROOM WITH A VIEW tells the story of the coming of age of Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter). Longing to burst free from the repression of British upper class manners and mores, she must wrestle with her inner romantic longings to choose between the passionate George (Julian Sands) and the priggish but socially suitable Cecil (Daniel Day Lewis). Boasting a brilliant support cast including Maggie Smith, Judy Dench, Denholm Elliot and Simon Callow, A ROOM WITH A VIEW is one the most charming and delightful romantic comedies ever filmed. |
This is a placid romance, but I found the young Bonham Carter enrapturing despite the restrictions of her character. The setting and production is lovely, and I certainly love the period and the theme, but taken as a whole I find the film slightly uneventful. There is a lot of meaning in examining only the slow process of overturning social convention, but it isn't a particularly visceral experience, and I think the film could have made better use of its medium in conveying its message.