A Room with A View (1985)

A Room with A View (1985)

A stunning period romance adaptation that set the standard for Merchant Ivory

7.7

Movie

United Kingdom
English, Italian
Drama, Romance
1985
JAMES IVORY
Amanda Walker, Daniel Day-Lewis, Denholm Elliott
117 min

What it's about

When Lucy Honeychurch and chaperon Charlotte Bartlett find themselves in Florence with rooms without views, fellow guests Mr Emerson and son George step in to remedy the situation. Meeting the Emersons could change Lucy's life forever but, once back in England, how will her experiences in Tuscany affect her marriage plans?

The take

A Room with a View is downright beautiful. Amidst the impressionistic scenery of Florence’s and England’s countrysides, paired with iconic classical opera, some of Britain’s best actors bare the feelings of their snobbish, upper-class characters in stylish and historically-accurate costumes. But all of these elements aren’t just silly decorations. Like the novel it’s based on, the characters’ refined and respectable veneer, and their insistence on propriety, is a front that hides the feelings stirring in their gut, particularly that of the lovers George Emerson (Julian Sands) and Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter). Inevitably, these feelings can’t be contained– they can only be examined. And when Emerson earnestly declares his love, it’s so powerful to be seen as one’s self rather than as decoration.

Comments

Add a comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World (2023)

A cynical, but terribly honest portrait of the indignity of modern life

7.9

Unfrosted (2024)

A fun but ultimately too-childish romp about the discovery of the Pop-Tart

6.8

Turtles All the Way Down (2024)

A sweet and relatable coming-of-age drama that brings mental health and economic realities to the fore

7.1

Testament of Youth (2014)

A lovely, though fairly standard, memoir adaptation of the famous British pacifist

6.9

Lust, Caution (2007)

A wartime spy falls for a collaborator in this erotic espionage drama

7.3

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.

8.1

The Guilty (2018)

A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.

9.0

Forgotten Love (2023)

The stunning third take of the classic Polish pre-war melodrama

7.7

The Idea of You (2024)

A smart albeit dry romantic comedy that unwittingly contradicts its empowering message

6.9

Breaking the Waves (1996)

Lars von Trier breaks his rules in the tearjerking first film of the Golden Heart trilogy

8.1

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.