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
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
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
a gem for Merchant Ivory fans:
I give this 5 stars not just for being a masterpiece of a story but also as a wonderful trip to Florence (and the english countryside). Julian Sands and Helena Bonham Carter fans will also be pleased.
HD-DVD:
Anyone buying a DVD from this WEBSITE better make sure it does not say HD-DVD because this is actually only good on an HD-DVD player which is obsolete and was replaced with Blue Ray. These are not compatible therefore you cannot watch this movie. I luckily realized this before I opened it so I was able to return it. I am sure there are several people who will open these to try them out. Unfortunately once opened, they are not retunrable!
A room with a wonderful review...:
I have wanted for some time to write a movie review for Amazon. But every time I have looked at the listing for a film I have noticed immediately that many, sometime over a hundred, other people had already shared their views and insights. It is rather depressing to read all the Amazon reviews for a film or book. Evidently, many many people seem to think that no one has ever had a thought until they themselves had it, or that their comments and reactions are completely unique, and must be broadcast as soon... more info
VERY GOOD TRANSFER:
THE BLU-RAY IS VERY VERY GOOD IN VIDEO ALSO CONSIDERING THE AGE OF THE MOVIE. THE ITALIAN EDITION ON DVD WAS UNWATCHABLE AND THAT'S THE REASON I BOUGHT THIS BLU-RAY. THE ONLY PROBLEM FOR ME IS THAT THERE IS NO ITALIAN LANGUAGE. THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION IS WRONG
