A Room with a View (Two-Disc Special Edition)
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Denholm Elliott, Helena Bonham Carter, Julian Sands, Maggie Smith, Simon CallowDVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0; Spanish (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 1.0
Format: AC-3, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.77:1
Running Time: 113 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-04-06
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: BBC Warner
Movie Reviews of A Room with a View (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Movie Review: Beautifully realized cinematic version of Forster's classic
Summary: 5 Stars
I read Forster's novel and tumbled unexpectedly, as Lucy did into a field of flowers, in love with the wistful, romantic prose and nostalgic ode to a bygone era, so it was with a fair amount of trepidation that I watched Merchant-Ivory's film version: I thought that nobody could ever match the vivid imagery of Forster's text.
I was happily mistaken. Merchant-Ivory truly understand Forster's quiet power: they subtly transmute a delightful novel into a visual feast that is as much a love letter to Italy and young love as it is the classic story of "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl". The actors are perfectly cast: Helena Bonham Carter has that wilful, slightly petulant pre-Raphaelite air that is perfectly Lucy Honeychurch, while Julian Sands (who unfortunately did not appear in much else of note afterwards) is earnestly romantic but not laughably melodramatic. The music is beautiful, at times achingly so, and I defy anyone to remain unmoved by the scene where Lucy is first held by George in a field of violets. It could've so easily tipped over into cliches and hackneyed romance, but somehow it still feels fresh, lovely and wide-eyed.
Stand-out performances from Daniel Day Lewis (as the priggish Cecil) and Helena Bonham Carter, as well as from Judi Dench (Eleanor Lavish) and Maggie Smith (as "poor, poor Charlotte"). Honorable mentions to Rupert Graves as Freddy (Lucy's loveable and mischievous brother) and Simon Callow as Reverend Beebe.
Merchant-Ivory has a reputation for corseted period pieces, but the exquisite loveliness and joy of this film should appeal to just about anybody with a pulse. It is one of those films that you will watch again and again, and each time you will have tears come to your eyes and a lump in your throat from the sheer beauty of it all.
On a technical note, I would not get anything less than the 2-disc special edition (part of the Merchant-Ivory collection), which comes in beautiful matte packaging and includes a documentary with commentary from the cast and crew. The sound and picture quality is fine (at least on my DVD player) -- not 100% crisp as the original film is from the 80s, but a modern, digital sharpness would most likely detract rather than add to the film anyway, in my opinion.
If you liked this film, I would also recommend that you seek out other Merchant-Ivory films such as Howards End and Maurice (both Forster adaptations -- the latter with Hugh Grant in a role far removed from his Four Weddings/Notting Hill persona) and Heat and Dust (set in British India, this film has an oddly intense, exotic melancholy that lingers long after you've watched it.)
Summary of A Room with a View (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Nominated for eight Oscars in 1986, including Best Picture, and winner of three (Costumes, Art Direction and Adapted Screenplay), A Room with a View is the film that defined Merchant-Ivory as the masters of the romantic period piece. A brilliant adaptation 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 supporting cast, A Room with a View is one of the most romantic of romantic comedies ever filmed.The prestigious filmmaking trio of producer Ismail Merchant, director James Ivory, and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala had made other critically acclaimed films before A Room with a View was released in 1985, but it was this popular film that made them art-house superstars. Splendidly adapted from the novel by E.M. Forster, it's a comedy of the heart, a passionate romance and a study of repression within the British class system of manners and mores. It's that system of rigid behavior that prevents young Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter) from accepting the loving advances of a free-spirited suitor (Julian Sands), who fears that she will follow through with her engagement to a priggish intellectual (Daniel Day-Lewis) whose capacity for passion is virtually nonexistent. During and after a trip to Italy with her protective companion (Maggie Smith), Lucy gradually gets in touch with her true emotions. The fun of watching A Room with a View comes from seeing how Lucy's thoughts and feelings finally arrive at the same romantic conclusion. Through an abundance of humor both subtle and overt, this crowd-pleasing "art movie" rose to an unexpected level of popular appeal. The Merchant-Ivory team received eight Academy Award nominations for their efforts, and won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, Art Direction, and Costume Design. --Jeff Shannon
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