Based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day is the story of a butler whose devotion to his master has him cut off from reality as the estate’s new housekeeper tries to find the humanity within him. Directed by James Ivory and screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, the film is an exploration into the life of a man who maintains his servitude while not giving in towards his own emotions that would later come back to haunt him. Starring Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, James Fox, Christopher Reeve, Hugh Grant, Lena Headey, and Ben Chaplin. The Remains of the Day is a somber yet exquisite film from James Ivory and the Merchant-Ivory team.
The film takes place in two different time periods where a butler reflects on his life of service to a lord as he’s about to meet the housekeeper he worked with back in the 1930s. During his trip to meet Miss Sarah “Sally” Kenton (Emma Thompson), Mr. James Stevens (Anthony Hopkins) reflects on the years he served Lord Darlington (James Fox) and how he had been very compulsive in his duties to his lord while not pretending to listen to any conversations or state his own opinions. It’s a role that he’s accepted as Miss Kenton begrudgingly accepts his cold demeanor except in moments where she feels that something had to be said. It’s a film that explores a man’s devotion to his life in service where the only moments he has time to himself is in reading books as a way to connect with the world.
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s screenplay, with additional contributions from Harold Pinter, has a unique narrative structure where it moves back-and-forth from Mr. Stevens’ traveling to see Miss Kenton in the 1950s and their time together serving for Lord Darlington in the 1930s. It’s a narrative that Mr. Stevens reflecting on that time where he was at his most useful where he would supervise everything that goes on in the estate while ensuring that everything is in tip-top shape. It is there that Miss Kenton arrives as the new head housekeeper as she is aware of how to act and perform duties. Even as the younger maids and butlers know that rule as well though some of them would have romantic trysts during breaks with the exception of Miss Kenton and Mr. James as the former often observes while the latter just oversees what goes on in the house.
The film also features a subplot where Lord Darlington would hold a meeting to appease Nazi Germany to the world over the unfair treatment they got in the Treaty of Versailles in the aftermath of World War I. Though it has nothing to do with the main narrative, it would play into Mr. James’ sense of disconnect with the real world and his lack of opinion about the state of the world where he’s later confronted by Darlington’s godson Reginald Cardinal (Hugh Grant) in the film’s third act over Darlington’s meetings with Germany as it’s a crime of treason. Most notably as Darlington would later regrettably dismiss a couple of young maids because of their Jewish backgrounds which was a decision that Miss Kenton wasn’t fond of. It would play to the sense of restraint in the role of Mr. Stevens who could’ve done something but sit back and let it happen where he would reflect on that moment with regret as well.
James Ivory’s direction is truly intoxicating in the way he explores the world of servitude in a posh, English estate where a lord lives there and he’s got a large staff of people tending to the house. While Ivory would create scenes where it would play into whatever meetings Lord Darlington is holding, Ivory always make sure that Mr. Stevens and his fellow staff are in the background maintaining their role of servitude. Even where they would find themselves listening to some secret conversations and such but maintain their place as if they never heard anything. Still, Ivory makes sure that it’s a film about the servants where Mr. Stevens is the leader as he’s often seen in a medium shot or in a close-up where he has very little idea about the world outside.
Since much of the film takes place in a lot of estates in England, they do serve as a character in the film where it’s a place where the servants know where to go and what to do when the bell rings. The use of slow zoom lenses for close-up and some of the tracking shots showcase Ivory playing into that world where these servants run the house like clockwork and make sure things are intact. Even as the scenes in the 1950 where it begins with Mr. Stevens working with his new boss in the retired American politician Trent Lewis (Christopher Reeve) who knew Mr. Stevens as he was a visitor during a key meeting in the film. The house is still a character but a shell of its former self as it reflect the sense of loss and disconnection of Mr. Stevens with the rest of the world and in his relationship with Miss Kenton. Overall, Ivory creates a very rich yet heartbreaking film about a man’s devotion to service as he becomes unable to express himself to the people who are closest to him.
Cinematographer Tony Pierce-Roberts does fantastic work with the film‘s photography from the way many of the house interiors in day and night are lit to play into its natural atmosphere as well as some of the exteriors to show the richness of the countryside. Editor Andrew Marcus does brilliant work with the film‘s editing as it‘s filled with stylish dissolves and slow-motion cuts as well as some jump-cuts to play with its drama. Production designer Luciana Arrighi, with set decorator Ian Whittaker and art director John Ralph, does amazing work with the look of the house from its library to the dining halls and silver room to play into the sense of richness that Mr. Stevens takes great care into.
Costume designers Jenny Beaven and John Bright do excellent work with the costumes from the suits that Mr. Stevens and the other butlers wear to the uniforms of Miss Kenton and the other maids wear. Sound editor Colin Miller does nice work with the sound from the way things sound during the cleaning process to some of the way conversations are heard from the outside. The film’s music by Richard Robbins is just marvelous for its very low-key yet elegant orchestral score that plays to some of the film’s drama as well as some of the emotional moments in the film.
The casting by Celestia Fox is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it features some superb small performances from Michael Lonsdale as a French aristocrat Lord Darlington invites, Emma Lewis and Johanna Joseph as the two German-Jewish maids that Miss Kenton hires, and Tim Pigott-Smith as a former servant named Benn that Miss Kenton meets in her days off. Other notable small roles include Ben Chaplin in a terrific performance as the under-butler Charlie, Lena Headey in a wonderful performance as the young maid Lizzie, and Peter Vaughn in a fantastic performance as Mr. Stevens’ father who would work with his son early on only to be stricken by age. Hugh Grant is excellent as Lord Darlington’s godson Reginald Cardinal as he brings some subtle humor to the film while commenting to Mr. Stevens about the trouble Lord Darlington is getting himself into.
James Fox is amazing as Lord Darlington as a man who tries to create peace between Germany and the rest of the world while later finding himself in ruins over what he’s done while he often asks Mr. Stevens on any opinions on his role. Christopher Reeve is great as Trent Lewis as a former American congressman who arrives at a 1930s dinner displaying his opinion about the meeting while later becoming Mr. Stevens’ new boss in the 1950s as it’s a truly fine performance from the late actor.
Finally, there’s Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson in magnificent performances as Mr. James Stevens and Miss Sarah Kenton, respectively. Thompson has the more showier role yet it is told with such passion as a woman who tries to get Mr. Stevens to express himself while dealing with her feelings for him. Hopkins’ performance is entrancing for the sense of restraint and lack of emotion he displays as a man just trying to do his duty no matter what kind of situation is happening. Hopkins and Thompson have a chemistry that is just undeniable to watch as they showcase the sense of heartbreak and desire to be with each other but also the internal conflicts in the two as it’s truly some of their best work.
The Remains of the Day is a tremendous film from the Merchant-Ivory team that features outstanding performances from Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. Not only is this one of the best films from Merchant-Ivory but also in the way the explore a man’s blind devotion to his duties and the sense of disconnect he would have with the world and the people around him. In the end, The Remains of the Day is a remarkable film from James Ivory.
James Ivory Films: The Householder - (The Dehli Way) - Shakespeare Wallah - (The Guru) - Bombay Talkie - (Adventures of a Brown Man in Search of Civilization) - (Savages (1972 film)) - (Autobiography of a Princess) - (The Wild Party) - (Roseland) - (Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie’s Pictures) - (The Five Forty-Eight) - (The Europeans) - (Jane Austen in Manhattan) - (Quartet (1981 film)) - (Heat and Dust) - (The Bostonians) - A Room with a View - Maurice - (Slaves of New York) - (Mr. & Mrs. Bridges) - Howards End - (Jefferson in Paris) - (Surviving Picasso) - (A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries) - (The Golden Bowl) - (Le Divorce) - (The White Countess) - (The City of Your Final Destination)
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the novel by E.M. Forster, Howards End is a multi-layered story revolving around different social classes in early 20th Century Edwardian-Britain where a poor woman’s friendship with an industrialist’s wife leads to all sorts of trouble for her family as well as the people they’re connected to. Directed by James Ivory and screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, the film is an exploration into the world where a man tries to save the one thing of his wife unaware that she gave it to someone else. Starring Emma Thompson, Anthony Hopkins, Helena Bonham Carter, Vanessa Regrave, Samuel West, and James Wilby. Howards End is a remarkable film from James Ivory and the Merchant-Ivory team.
Set in early 20th Century Britain during the Edwardian era, it’s a film where a middle-class woman who unknowingly inherited a country house by an industrialist’s wife whom she had become friends with in the final days of that woman’s life. When her husband reads the handwritten will that his late wife wrote, he schemes to get the house back where he meets the woman only to fall for her. Yet, things become complicated when that woman’s sister tries to help a poor man and his wife whose fortunes have gone bad where it would create dissension between the two sisters. It’s a film that isn’t just about connections between three different families from three different social classes but also in the way they would affect one another and their fortunes in a world where there’s a lot of expectation in Edwardian society.
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s screenplay takes it time to flesh out the story where she reveals the lives of these three different families. The very rich Wilcoxes led by Henry (Anthony Hopkins) and Ruth (Vanessa Redgrave) with their elder children Charles (James Wilby) and Evie (Jemma Redgrave). The middle-class siblings Margaret (Emma Thompson), Helen (Helena Bonham Carter), and Tibby Schlegel (Adrian Ross Magenty). The last couple is the working-class couple Leonard Bast (Samuel West) and his wife Jacky (Nicola Duffett). All of which are trying to play roles in societies yet they all face struggles with trying to advance themselves with the exception of the Wilcoxes. When Margaret meets the ailing Ruth, the two strike a friendship where Margaret reveals to Ruth about the lease of her home expiring as Ruth wants to help Margaret out where she would hand-write a will leaving Margaret the home that she loved that is called Howards End.
This would later set-up a series of trouble where Henry and his children are dismayed over what Ruth had written as it would play into this second act where Margaret and Helen would diverge due to the involvement of different men. Margaret formally meets Henry where the two fall in love though the latter did decide to help Margaret find a home nearby only for his plans to lose way. Helen meanwhile meets and falls for the working-class clerk Leonard Bast who has been trying to find a job as he accepts the help of Helen and Margaret only for Henry’s presence to cause trouble as it would play to the growing tension between the sisters. It would all play to a troubling third act where there’s more to the connection between Henry and the Basts as well as Margaret being torn in her devotion to Henry and her siblings. It’s not just the way Jhabvala plots everything but also her approach to the language and dialogue that adds more spice and suspense to the story.
James Ivory’s direction is truly ravishing in the way he presents the period of Edwardian Britain at a time where the rich try to maintain their status while looking down at those beneath them. Though the Wilcoxes aren’t entirely bad people, they do have this sense of entitlement that makes them somewhat disconnected from reality. Ivory has unique framing devices in the way he presents them as well as scenes where Charles would eavesdrop into whatever conversations his father would have with Margaret where it’s clear he is going to cause trouble for many. Even as Charles’ somewhat-dim wife Dolly (Susie Lindeman) would also eavesdrop as she knows something isn’t right. It would play to some moments of suspense that occurs in the film while much of the direction in terms of its humor and drama is quite understated.
The approach to putting characters in the frame wouldn’t just play to the dramatic tension that occurs between some of the characters but also to display a sense of a social order that would make Leonard Bast feel uneasy about. Many of the scenes involving Bast has him in places where he either doesn’t fit in or is surrounded by a place of despair in comparison to the world that the Wilcoxes and Schlegel siblings live in. Still, Ivory creates scenes of a dream-world that Bast wants to live in as if he wants to be in a world where he can happy where Helen would be that person who would help him. Even as the house that is Howards End is a major character in the film as a place of comfort that is a major escape from the real world as Margaret would learn why Ruth cherishes it. Especially as Henry and his family would try to hold on to it for very selfish reasons as it would lead to a dramatic climax that would involve tragedy. Overall, Ivory creates a very captivating yet touching film about pride and connections in the Edwardian period of Britain.
Cinematographer Tony Pierce-Roberts does amazing work with the film‘s lush and gorgeous cinematography from the way some of the film‘s interiors are lit in some of the scenes as well as the exteriors to play into the different moods of the film. Editor Andrew Marcus does fantastic work with the editing with its use of dissolves, abrupt fade-outs, and other stylized cuts to play into some of the drama and suspenseful moments of the film. Production designer Luciana Arrighi, with set decorator Ian Whittaker and art director John Ralph, does brilliant work with the set pieces from the look of the apartment the Schlegel siblings live in to the quaint yet lavish home that is Howards End.
Costume designers Jenny Beaven and John Bright do splendid work with the costumes from the suits that Henry wears to the stylish dresses that the women wear. Hair stylist Carol Hemming does excellent work with the look of the different hairstyles the women had in that period. Sound editor Campbell Askew does nice work with the sound to play into the different atmosphere of the locations including the scenes set in the British countryside. The film’s music by Richard Robbins is truly delightful for its somber yet enchanting orchestral score that includes some piano pieces as well as some music from Percy Grainger to open and close the film as well as a piano piece by Beethoven.
The casting by Celestia Fox is just simple marvelous for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small roles from Simon Callow as a music lecturer, Jo Kendall as the Schlegel’s maid Annie, Joseph Bennett as Charles’ brother Paul whom Helen was briefly engaged to, Prunella Scales as Schlegel’s Aunt Juley, and Susie Lindeman as Charles’ naïve wife Dolly. Other noteworthy performances include Adrian Ross Magenty as Margaret and Helen’s younger brother Tibby who finds himself having to defend his sisters’ generosity, Jemma Redgrave as the very snobbish and cruel Evie Wilcox, and James Wilby as the eldest Wilcox child Charles whose nosiness and pride would cause trouble for the whole family. Nicola Duffett is wonderful as Leonard’s wife Jacky as this troubled woman trying to do whatever to help them while being suspicious over Leonard’s time with the Schlegels. Vanessa Redgrave is radiant as Ruth Wilcox as an ailing woman who is full of life as she finds a true friend in Margaret and does something that she feels is a good thing.
Samuel West is superb as Leonard Bast as a man trying to find work amidst the adversity he faces where he finds himself becoming close with Helen. Helena Bonham Carter is amazing as Helen Schlegel as a woman that simply wants to help Leonard while becoming suspicious over Henry’s intentions for Margaret as it’s a role that has a lot of bite and wit. Anthony Hopkins is great as Henry Wilcox as a man who prides himself as someone with power as he tries to hold on to his wife’s house only to be impressed by Margaret where he becomes unsure if he’s doing the right thing. Finally, there’s Emma Thompson in a radiant performance as Margaret Schlegel as a woman who deals with her own financial issues while trying to help Leonard and befriend the Wilcoxes where she becomes torn in her devotion to Henry and her family as it’s a powerful performance from Thompson.
Howards End is an exquisite and enchanting film from the Merchant-Ivory team. Thanks to a splendid cast led by Emma Thompson, Anthony Hopkins, Helena Bonham Carter, and Vanessa Redgrave along with fantastic technical work, Richard Robbins’ mesmerizing music, and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s potent screenplay. It’s a film that isn’t just an exploration into human connections and the sins that forces people to do horrific things but it’s a film that plays into the understanding of humanity and how they can be similar. In the end, Howards End is a spectacular film from James Ivory.
James Ivory Films: The Householder - (The Dehli Way) - Shakespeare Wallah - (The Guru) - Bombay Talkie - (Adventures of a Brown Man in Search of Civilization) - (Savages (1972 film)) - (Autobiography of a Princess) - (The Wild Party) - (Roseland) - (Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie’s Pictures) - (The Five Forty-Eight) - (The Europeans) - (Jane Austen in Manhattan) - (Quartet (1981 film)) - (Heat and Dust) - (The Bostonians) - A Room with a View - Maurice - (Slaves of New York) - (Mr. & Mrs. Bridges) - The Remains of the Day - (Jefferson in Paris) - (Surviving Picasso) - (A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries) - (The Golden Bowl) - (Le Divorce) - (The White Countess) - (The City of Your Final Destination)
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the novel by E.M. Forster, Maurice is the story about a homosexual relationship in the 20th Century set in a university in Britain. Directed by James Ivory and screenplay by Ivory and Kit-Hesketh-Harvey, the film is an exploration into the world of homosexuality in early 20th Century Britain where two men try to deal with it in a time when homosexuality was taboo. Starring James Wilby, Hugh Grant, Rupert Graves, Denholm Elliott, Simon Callow, Billie Whitelaw, and Ben Kingsley. Maurice is a touching and mesmerizing film from James Ivory.
Set in the early 20th Century at a university in Cambridge, the film is an exploration into the world of homosexuality in those times as two men fall in love with each other while keeping the relationship a secret. While the two men would play very close friends around their respective families, things would become complicated when a friend is arrested for his homosexuality as their friendship and romance would start to fall apart as the two diverge into different directions. It’s a film that plays into a world where homosexuality was taboo and also considered to be obscene as it is largely set in this Edwardian-period where two men from different class backgrounds have to play into the rules of society in order to get ahead.
The film’s screenplay has a very unique structure where the first half of the film is set in Cambridge where the titular character (James Wilby) meets and falls for the more upper-class Clive (Hugh Grant) as they have this very secretive yet platonic relationship. The second half is set a few years later where Maurice and Clive are in two different worlds of their lives where the former tries to deal with his homosexuality as well as feelings for the latter’s young gamekeeper Alec Scudder (Rupert Graves). Add some very stylized dialogue that plays with the period of the times as well as the world of upper-class aristocracy, there’s a story that plays into some aspect of emotional repression as well as the desire to fit in with the confines of a society that is in a new century but with some old rules intact.
James Ivory’s direction is very simple and understated in the way he presents early 20th Century Britain where much of the film’s first half is shot on location in Cambridge with the second half shot in Wilbury Park. Much of it involves some close-ups and medium-shots along with a few wide shots where Ivory create some dazzling compositions while play into a certain rhythm and tone to that pre-World War I period in Britain. Most notably in its pacing where for a film that’s nearly two-and-a-half hours, Ivory makes it feel a bit shorter in the way he conveys much of the drama as well as some suspenseful moments over the way Maurice deals with his feelings for Clive and later Alec. Even as Maurice would go to all sorts of help where an unconventional American doctor in Lasker-Jones (Ben Kingsley) would offer various suggestions over what he should do. Overall, Ivory crafts a very captivating film about homosexuality in early 20th Century Britain.
Cinematographer Pierre Lhomme does excellent work with the film‘s lush photography from its use of natural light for its exterior scenes as well for some low-key lighting schemes for the interior and nighttime exterior scenes. Editor Katherine Wenning does brilliant work with the editing in creating something that is straightforward in some cases but also with a flair of style that includes a very rich dream sequence. Production designer Brian Ackland-Snow, with art directors Peter James and Brian Savegar, does splendid work with the set pieces from the look of the different homes of Maurice and Clive as well as some of the places they go to during that Edwardian period.
Costume designers Jenny Beaven and John Bright do fantastic work with the costumes from the clothes the men wear to the lavish dresses the women wear. The sound work of Mike Shoring is superb for its intimate approach to sound in the way dinners are conducted to some of the outdoor activities that Maurice and Clive do. The film’s music by Richard Robbins is amazing for its low-key yet elegant orchestral score that has some moments of suspense but also some serene moments in its drama and humorous moments.
The casting by Celestia Fox is phenomenal for the ensemble that is created as it includes a cameo appearance from Helena Bohnam Carter as a guest watching a cricket game as well as notable small performances from Peter Eyre as the very nosy Reverend Borenius, Kitty Aldridge and Helena Michell in their respective roles as Maurice’s sisters Kitty and Ada, Catherine Rabett as Clive’s sister Pippa, Patrick Godfrey as Clive’s family butler Simcox, Barry Foster as Clive and Maurice’s college dean who is bewildered by their behaviors, Mark Tandy as a fellow classmate of the two in Lord Risley, and Phoebe Nicholls in a wonderful performance as Clive’s naïve yet well-meaning wife Anne whom Maurice likes. Denholm Elliott is terrific as Maurice’s family doctor Barry who tries to deal with what Maurice is going through as well as a sublime performance from Simon Callow as Maurice’s old schoolteacher Mr. Ducie who only appears briefly in the film where he would tell a young Maurice about what to expect in puberty.
Billie Whitelaw and Judy Parfitt are superb in their respective roles as Maurice and Clive’s mothers who both bring their own opinions over their friendship while being unaware of the secret relationship they have. Ben Kingsley is great as the very unconventional Lasker-Jones who examines Maurice when he knows what Maurice is and offers him some very insightful advice. Rupert Graves is excellent as the young gamekeeper Alec Scudder who knows what Maurice is as he tries to prompt him into being in a relationship despite the rules of society. Hugh Grant is marvelous as Clive as this upper-class man who falls for Maurice as he tries to prompt to go into a relationship until circumstances forces him to play by the rules of society. Finally, there’s James Wilby in a fantastic performance as the titular character as a man trying to find himself in this new world while dealing with his own feelings in an attempt to fit in as well as becoming lost in his repression.
Maurice is an exquisite yet compelling film from James Ivory and the Merchant-Ivory team. With a great cast and some amazing technical work, it’s a film that showcases how a period film can do so much more than just be a film with window-dressing and such. Especially in how it tackles the world of homosexuality in pre-World War I Britain where the risks of exposing something like that was very severe. In the end, Maurice is an incredible film from James Ivory.
James Ivory Films: The Householder - (The Dehli Way) - Shakespeare Wallah - (The Guru) - Bombay Talkie - (Adventures of a Brown Man in Search of Civilization) - (Savages (1972 film)) - (Autobiography of a Princess) - (The Wild Party) - (Roseland) - (Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie’s Pictures) - (The Five Forty-Eight) - (The Europeans) - (Jane Austen in Manhattan) - (Quartet (1981 film)) - (Heat and Dust) - (The Bostonians) - A Room With a View - (Slaves of New York) - (Mr. & Mrs. Bridges) - Howards End - The Remains of the Day - (Jefferson in Paris) - (Surviving Picasso) - (A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries) - (The Golden Bowl) - (Le Divorce) - (The White Countess) - (The City of Your Final Destination)
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the novel by E.M. Foster, A Room with a View is the story of a young woman who falls for a free-spirited man during a holiday in Italy. Directed by James Ivory and screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, the film is a look into a young woman coming of age in a restrictive time during the Edwardian period in Britain in early 20th Century. Starring Helena Bohnam Carter, Maggie Smith, Denholm Elliott, Daniel-Day Lewis, Julian Sands, Simon Callow, Rosemary Leach, and Judi Dench. A Room with a View is a ravishing and enchanting film from the Merchant-Ivory team.
Set in 1907, the film is an exploration into a young woman coming into her own during the Edwardian period in Britain where she meets a free-spirited man during a holiday in Florence, Italy with her cousin as her chaperone. What would happen upon meeting George Emerson (Julian Sands) is that the young Miss Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bohnam Carter) tries to cope with her feelings for George but also play to what is expected for her as she would later return to England where she would be engaged to a wealthy yet snobbish man named Cecil Vyse (Daniel Day-Lewis). Yet, when George moves nearby with his father (Denholm Elliott), Lucy becomes confused on what she should do as her older cousin Charlotte Bartlett (Maggie Smith) would observe everything as she would also play into Lucy and George’s fate.
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s screenplay has a unique structure where the first half of the film is set in Florence where Lucy and Charlotte are on holiday as it’s Lucy’s first visit to the city. It is there that the two meet the Emersons plus an eccentric group of visitors including the very free-spirited priest the Reverend Beebe (Simon Callow), a lively novelist named Eleanor Lavish, two aging sisters in Catherine and Teresa Alan (Fabia Drake and Joan Henley, respectively), and the more stern Reverend Eager (Patrick Godfrey). Upon this holiday in Florence, they all look at various landmarks and such where Lucy and George sense an attraction but the very prim Lucy is bewildered by George’s sense of free-spirit as he likes to climb trees, jump around, and act wildly. Yet, George is also a man who is very sensitive and is willing to do anything for Lucy which would add to this attraction much to the shock of Charlotte who has been watching Lucy for Lucy’s mother (Rosemary Leach).
The film’s second half would largely be set in Surrey, England where several months has passed and Lucy becomes engaged to Cecil who is a very interesting individual for the fact that he’s a character that audiences would love to hate. Largely because he’s this stuffy twat that really has no formidable opinion for anything as he becomes an opponent for George to deal with as he wants to give Lucy something more than just be a trophy wife for this rich, snobbish twat. Yet, the expectations that Lucy has to play with the rules of society would hinder the decisions she makes as her mother, her younger brother Freddy (Rupert Graves), and Charlotte would notice the restrained anguish that Lucy is carrying. One aspect of the screenplay that is very noticeable is the language in the way the characters talk as there’s a certain rhythm to the dialogue as well as how it can help move the story in such a brisk way.
James Ivory’s direction is truly exotic for not just the simplicity of the images he creates but also in how he makes the locations in Florence, Italy and England characters in the film. Many of the compositions of the locations would be presented in wide and medium shots to play into the beauty of the locations and the way the characters react to their surroundings. Especially in a moment where Lucy and George witness a brawl in a square amidst these surroundings of statues and famous landmarks where it would be a key moment into Lucy and George’s relationship. Much of the locations set in Florence would have this air of beauty as well enchantment where a moment of the two having a picnic in the Italian countryside where the two would have their first kiss to the shock of Charlotte. The scenes set in England would contain a similar presentation but there’s also a tightness that goes on early in that section once Lucy is engaged to Cecil.
The direction is more controlled in its tracking shots and such until George would appear to shake things up as there’s a very comical scene of he, Freddy, and Reverend Beebe enjoying a skinny-dip to the shock of Lucy, her mother, and Cecil. The direction would also have moments of symbolism that would play to Lucy dealing with her feelings for George but also to try and devote herself to Cecil as it would create a sense of drama that becomes intense but in a very restrained form. Especially as Ivory’s approach to melodrama doesn’t play to any kind of theatrics in favor of just letting the drama be played out with a tenderness and sensitivity that makes the story far more engaging. Overall, Ivory crafts a very delicate yet intoxicating film about a young woman coming of age in the early 20th Century where she would meet her soulmate.
Cinematographer Tom Pierce-Roberts does brilliant work with the film‘s photography to display the beauty of many of the film‘s exterior locations in the day while using some low-key lights for some of its interiors in the day and nighttime scenes. Editor Humphrey Dixon does excellent work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward yet has this seamless flow to play into the drama while infusing a few montages and rhythmic cuts to play with some of the film‘s low-key humor. Production designers Brian Ackland-Snow and Gianni Quaranta with art directors Brian Savegar and Elio Altamura, do amazing work with the set pieces from the look of the hotel rooms Lucy and Charlotte stayed in during their time in Florence to the home Lucy lived in as well as the house George‘s father stayed nearby in England.
Costume designers Jenny Beavan and John Bright do fantastic work with the costumes from the look of the dresses the women wear to the suits and clothes the men wear to play into that period. The hairdressing by Carol Hemming is terrific for the look of the hairstyle of the time that plays into the personalities of the women in the film. The sound work of Ray Beckett is superb for its low-key approach to sound by playing up much of the film‘s natural sounds as well some of the things that are captured on location. The film’s music by Richard Robbins is remarkable for its use of low-key orchestral music to play up the drama while the film’s soundtrack also uses an operatic piece by Giacamo Puccini that is sung by Kiri Te Kanawa that serves as a fitting piece in the film.
The casting by Celestia Fox is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small roles from Maria Britneva as Cecil’s mother, Mia Fothergill as Lucy and Freddy’s younger sister, Fabia Drake and Joan Henley as the very charming Alan sisters, and Patrick Godfrey in a terrific role as the very annoyed and strict Reverend Eager. Rupert Graves is wonderful as Lucy’s mischievous brother Freddy while Judi Dench is a total delight as the novelist Eleanor Lavish who is so full of charm and provides some witty commentary. Simon Callow is excellent as the very lively and kind-hearted Reverend Beebe who often gives Lucy some advice on how to live life. Denholm Elliot is amazing as George’s father as a man who has such wit and a good heart as he deals with the anguish of his son. Rosemary Leach is superb as Lucy’s mother who deals with Lucy’s engagement to Cecil and George’s presence as she ponders exactly what Lucy is thinking.
Daniel Day-Lewis is great as the very snobbish Cecil as Day-Lewis brings a charm that makes his character so infuriating to watch because he thinks he’s all that as it’s a performance that is funny to watch. Julian Sands is fantastic as George as this free-spirited man who likes to do all sorts of crazy things but there’s a man who is so good as he tries to woo Lucy and help her find her way. Maggie Smith is brilliant as Lucy’s elder cousin Charlotte as a woman who watches over Lucy while noticing her attraction towards George and later find a way to help guide her into the right direction. Finally, there’s Helena Bohnam Carter in a radiant performance as Lucy as this young woman trying to find herself in the early 20th Century as she deals with what is expected of her as well as it’s a performance that is very enchanting to watch.
A Room with a View is a magnificent film from the Merchant-Ivory team that features outstanding performances from Helena Bohnam Carter, Maggie Smith, Denholm Elliott, Julian Sands, and Daniel Day-Lewis. Armed with amazing technical work and a rich soundtrack, it’s a film that definitely showcases what a period film should be without the need to be superficial or stuffy. Especially as it features a truly evocative screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala that adds to the elegance of the film. In the end, A Room with a View is a sensational film from James Ivory.
James Ivory Films: The Householder - (The Dehli Way) - Shakespeare Wallah - (The Guru) - Bombay Talkie - (Adventures of a Brown Man in Search of Civilization) - (Savages (1972 film)) - (Autobiography of a Princess) - (The Wild Party) - (Roseland) - (Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie’s Pictures) - (The Five Forty-Eight) - (The Europeans) - (Jane Austen in Manhattan) - (Quartet (1981 film)) - (Heat and Dust) - (The Bostonians) - Maurice - (Slaves of New York) - (Mr. & Mrs. Bridges) - Howards End - The Remains of the Day - (Jefferson in Paris) - (Surviving Picasso) - (A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries) - (The Golden Bowl) - (Le Divorce) - (The White Countess) - (The City of Your Final Destination)
© thevoid99 2014
Directed by James Ivory and written by Ivory and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Bombay Talkie is the story about a British author who meets and falls for a Bollywood actor during her research on the Bollywood film industry. The film is an exploration into the world of Bollywood where an outsider tries to figure out its impact in Britain while finds herself in an affair that becomes very complicated. Starring Jennifer Kendal, Shashi Kapoor, Aparna Sen, Zia Mohyeddin, and Utpal Dutt. Bombay Talkie is an extraordinary film from the Merchant-Ivory team.
The film is about a British author who travels to Bombay to discover the world of Bollywood where she falls for one of the industry’s top actors as they would embark into a love affair that is complicated when an Indian writer also has feelings for her. There, things become more troubling as the actor’s marriage starts to fall apart as does his affair where the author goes into a spiritual retreat to find herself. It’s a film that explores a world of different cultures meeting together where the author Lucia Lane (Jennifer Kendal) goes to India to learn about the industry as accompanying her is a writer named Hari (Zia Mohyeddin) who has feelings for her. Yet, the presence of Vikram (Shashi Kapoor) would have Lucia go into places that would lead her to a lot of trouble as it would also create tension between Hari and Vikram.
The film’s screenplay doesn’t just play into a woman’s world where she is definitely an outsider that’s been through a lot as she wants to go somewhere that is unfamiliar. Though Lucia isn’t an entirely bad person as she often means well, she is very naïve over the way things are in India as her love for Vikram would cause a lot of trouble as Vikram’s marriage to Mala (Aparna Sen) is becoming rocky as she wants a child. Lucia’s presence only makes Mala very uneasy as Lucia is unaware of how much trouble she is causing where she briefly goes into a spiritual retreat causing Vikram to worry as Hari is the only person that knows where she went. While Hari at times can lose his cool, he is the most level-headed person in the film as opposed to the more self-involved Vikram who cares about living the good life yet complicates himself in his love for both Mala and Lucia.
James Ivory’s direction opens with this elaborate and rich credits sequence where a group of men are carrying the title card onto the streets and then feature pictures of cast and crew members involved in the film as it’s shot on location in Bombay. Much of it would feature some entrancing medium and wide shots as well as some striking close-ups to play into some of the emotional aspects of the film. There’s also moments of humor that is involved such as this extravagant set piece on the set of a film where Vikram is performing on a large typewriter for a dance number. While there’s elements of the film that does drag a bit such as Lucia’s own flightiness in her spiritual retreat as well as the way Vikram behaves when Lucia isn’t around. There is a payoff towards the end for a birthday celebration for Lucia where Vikram and Hari are taking part yet it would involve some very heavy moments for all three individuals. Overall, Ivory crafts a very delightful yet somber film about a love triangle in India that becomes very messy.
Cinematographer Subrata Mitra does excellent work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography with its use of natural lights for some of its exteriors to some exotic lighting schemes and moods for some of the film‘s nighttime interior/exterior scenes. Editor David Gladwell does wonderful work with the editing in creating something that is straightforward in its approach to cutting while going for methodical rhythms to build up some of the film‘s emotional moments. Production designer A. Rangaraj does brilliant work with the look of the homes that the characters live in as well as the large typewriter for a set piece that Vikram is dancing on.
Sound editor Prabhakar Supare does nice work with the sound to play into the natural atmosphere of the film‘s locations. The film’s music by Shankar Jalkishan is fantastic for its mixture of pop and traditional Indian music with some orchestral flourishes that include some lively Bollywood numbers as well as soothing opening theme that is composed by filmmaker Satyajit Ray while the soundtrack also includes some rock music from Santana and Janis Joplin.
The film’s superb cast includes appearances from producer Ismail Merchant as a producer on a film set, Nadira as a friend of Vikram who tries to get him to see reason, Pincho Kapoor as a swami that Lucia goes to in her spiritual retreat, and Utpal Dutt as a corrupt film producer who tries to stir things around for Mala and Vikram. Aparna Sen is wonderful as Vikram’s wife Mala as a woman who despises Lucia as she struggles with Vikram’s feelings for her as well as being barren. Zia Mohyeddin is excellent as the screenwriter Hari who is in love with Lucia as he tries to keep his feelings intact while noticing how erratic Vikram is as he tries to get him to be with Lucia.
Shashi Kapoor is terrific as the Bollywood star Vikram who has fallen for Lucia but deals with his marriage to Mala as he tries to comprehend everything only to give in to his own selfishness. Finally, there’s Jennifer Kendal in a radiant performance as Lucia Lane as this woman who tries to find herself in India only to be in a love triangle and unknowingly cause trouble for herself and the men she’s with.
Bombay Talkie is a rich and majestic film from James Ivory and the Merchant-Ivory team. Thanks to its excellent cast and a phenomenal film soundtrack, it’s a film that has a lot of charm and wit into the world of Bollywood with a dash of melodrama over a romantic love-triangle though the two stories do make it an uneven film. Still, Bombay Talkie is a superb film from James Ivory.
James Ivory Films: The Householder - (The Dehli Way) - Shakespeare Wallah - (The Guru) - (Adventures of a Brown Man in Search of Civilization) - (Savages (1972 film)) - (Autobiography of a Princess) - (The Wild Party) - (Roseland) - (Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie’s Pictures) - (The Five Forty-Eight) - (The Europeans) - (Jane Austen in Manhattan) - (Quartet (1981 film)) - (Heat and Dust) - (The Bostonians) - A Room With a View - Maurice - (Slaves of New York) - (Mr. & Mrs. Bridges) - Howards End - The Remains of the Day - (Jefferson in Paris) - (Surviving Picasso) - (A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries) - (The Golden Bowl) - (Le Divorce) - (The White Countess) - (The City of Your Final Destination)
© thevoid99 2014
Directed by James Ivory and written by Ivory and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Shakespeare Wallah is the story of traveling acting family who arrive into India for work as they deal with dwindling audiences and the rise of Bollywood. The film is an exploration into the world of changing times as well as trying to see if there’s an audience for Shakespeare in India. Starring Shashi Kapoor, Felicity Kendal, Geoffrey Kendal, Madhur Jaffrey, and Laura Liddell. Shakespeare Wallah is a majestic film from the famed Merchant-Ivory team.
The film is about a world where times are changing in India as Bollywood starts to take center stage while a famed British acting troupe that is known for traveling from city to city to perform Shakespeare find themselves dealing with these changing times. Meanwhile, the daughter of the troupe’s leader falls in love with a playboy who is also attached to a very vain Bollywood actress as he starts to appreciate the world of theater despite its dwindling audience. It’s a film that plays into a world where old meets new and the struggle to keep an art form vital during these changing times. Especially as a young actress in Lizzie Buckingham (Felicity Kendal) is just starting to grow but has to face the reality that doing Shakespeare in India might not be her future as it’s the only thing she knows.
The film’s screenplay by James Ivory and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala not only explores the life of an acting troupe that is struggling to playing to small audiences who are becoming more interested with Bollywood. They’re also struggling with an uncertain future that would affect the troupe, led by Tony Buckingham (Geoffrey Kendal) and his wife Carla (Laura Liddell), where they contemplate about going to Britain to get work or stay in India to try and continue as they still have some respect from theater managers and agents. Among those who are interested in their work is the playboy Sanju (Shashi Kapoor) who witnesses one of their performances and falls in love with Lizzie.
Yet, he has to deal with his mistress Manjula (Madhur Jaffrey) who is becoming a major star who is annoyed by Sanju’s interested towards Lizzie. Even as she would try to humiliate Lizzie where she later attends the troupe’s performance of Othello late in show where her appearance would divert the audience’s attention towards her much to Sanju’s embarrassment. It would play into what Sanju wants and what Lizzie wants but also into the uncertain future they might face as Sanju would also have to deal with a very disruptive and ignorant Indian audience.
Ivory’s direction is quite entrancing for the way he presents India where the film is set at a time where the country had just gained independence from the United Kingdom and were starting to forge their own ideas of arts and culture. Ivory’s compositions and the way he presents India coming into its own is just amazing to look at while he also creates some very enchanting moments in the theatrical performances the Buckinghams do. Even as Ivory maintains that sense theatricality and intimacy in these productions as opposed to the more looser style of a film set where Manjula is acting in a film. The use of wide and medium shots allow Ivory to play into that sense of changing times but through subtle means while ensuring that sense of drama as he would create some beautiful scenes such as Sanju’s first kiss with Lizzie. Overall, Ivory crafts a very delicate and rich film about a family facing changing times in India.
Cinematographer Subrata Mitra does brilliant work with the film‘s black-and-white photography that has this look that is similar to the European films of the times where it is rich in its imagery as it includes some gorgeous lighting schemes. Editor Amit Bose does nice work with the editing to play into the rhythms of some of the moments that occur on stage as well as some of the drama in the film. Costume designer Jennifer Kendal does excellent work with the costumes from the costumes the troupe wears on stage to the posh clothes of Manjula. Sound editor Prabhakar Suqare does terrific work with the sound to play into the intimacy of the theater as well as some of the sounds of the locations the characters encounter. The film’s music by Satyajit Ray is superb for its mixture of orchestral music with traditional Indian folk music to play into that world of India.
The film’s amazing cast includes appearances from producer Ismail Merchant as a theater owner, Jennifer Kendal as a friend of the family, Partap Sharma as an Indian actor who joins the troupe, and Praveen Paul as an aging actor dealing with the changing times. Madhur Jaffrey is fantastic as Manjula as this very manipulative Bollywood star who tries to pull Sanju away from Lizzie as she would do whatever to embarrass him and make him come to her. Laura Liddell and Geoffrey Kendal as excellent as Lizzie’s parents in Clara and Tony Buckingham, respectively, as the troupe leaders trying to make sense of their dwindling fortunes.
Shashi Kapoor is superb as Sanju as this playboy who falls for a British girl as he struggles with his different love affairs and his newfound appreciation for Shakespearian theater. Finally, there’s Felicity Kendal in a radiant performance as Lizzie Buckingham as this young woman who starts to grow as an actress while dealing with her feelings for Sanju and the uncertainty of her acting career.
Shakespeare Wallah is a remarkable from the Merchant-Ivory team that features top-notch performances from Shashi Kapoor and Felicity Kendal. The film is definitely an intriguing look into the world of India coming into its own where Britons deal with changing times. Even as an Indian starts to find appreciation for the world of William Shakespeare as his people look towards something else. In the end, Shakespeare Wallah is a marvelous film from James Ivory and the Merchant-Ivory team.
James Ivory Films: The Householder - (The Dehli Way) - (The Guru) - Bombay Talkie - (Adventures of a Brown Man in Search of Civilization) - (Savages (1972 film)) - (Autobiography of a Princess) - (The Wild Party) - (Roseland) - (Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie’s Pictures) - (The Five Forty-Eight) - (The Europeans) - (Jane Austen in Manhattan) - (Quartet (1981 film)) - (Heat and Dust) - (The Bostonians) - A Room With a View - Maurice - (Slaves of New York) - (Mr. & Mrs. Bridges) - Howards End - The Remains of the Day - (Jefferson in Paris) - (Surviving Picasso) - (A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries) - (The Golden Bowl) - (Le Divorce) - (The White Countess) - (The City of Your Final Destination)
© thevoid99 2014
Directed by James Ivory and screenplay by Ivory and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala that is based on the novel by the latter, The Householder is the story about a Dehli college teacher whose recent arranged marriage to another woman gets into trouble as he tries to adjust to his new life as a married man. The film plays into the world of adulthood set in India as it marks the first of many films from the Merchant-Ivory company that would include producer Ismail Merchant. Starring Shashi Kapoor, Leela Naidu, and Durga Khote. The Householder is a superbly rich film from James Ivory.
When marriage first arrives to a new couple, it’s about two people trying to get to know each other and such as this film is about this college teacher in Dehli who tries to deal with his newfound life as a newlywed in an arranged marriage to a young woman. It’s a marriage wracked with difficulty which gets worse when the groom’s mother arrives observing and criticizing everything forcing him to deal with his role and what he wants in his life. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s script not only explores the difficulty of being newly married but also the expectations and sense of repression that Prem Sagar (Shashi Kapoor) is dealing with as the presence of his mother (Durga Khote) only causes trouble. Especially as she would make her new daughter-in-law Indu (Leela Naidu) very insecure while calling out on her husband as a mama’s boy. For Prem, the adjustment of being a newlywed and balancing it out with his work as a professor would force him to seek answers from many on what to do as it would be presented in a very simple narrative.
The direction of James Ivory is quite simple in the way he explores the sense of repression and expectations put upon a newlywed couple but also in how a man tries to find answers into dealing with his marriage. Much of the direction has Ivory shooting on location in Dehli where it’s this strange mix of a new world colliding with the old yet there are those seeking some answers in a spiritual form as Prem would meet an American visitor (Ernest Castaldo) who would be a catalyst for Prem’s personal journey. Many of the compositions that Ivory would create would be simple in terms of close-ups, medium shots, and some wide shots of the locations. All of which would play into the drama that would intensify throughout the film. Overall, Ivory creates a very compelling film about the newness of being married and the expectations that occurs in India.
Cinematographer Subrata Mitra does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography to play into the look of Dehli as well as the way some of the nighttime interiors are shot. Editor Pran Meha, with additional contributions from Satyajit Ray, does nice work with the editing in creating some unique rhythmic cuts to play into some of the drama along with some stylish usage of dissolves. Costume designer Bettina Gill does terrific work with the clothes from the robes that the women wear to the clothes the men wear. The film’s music by Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and music supervisor Satyajit Ray is fantastic for its mixture of somber Indian orchestral music and some playful pieces that features additional contributions by Ali Akbar Khan and Jyotitindra Moitra where their pieces are featured in the opening moments of the film.
The film’s cast includes some notable small roles from Ernest Castaldo as an American-Indian tourist that Prem meets, Pahari Sanyal as a swami that Prem goes to late in the film, Romesh Tappar as the school principal that Prem works for, and Patsy Dance as a British tourist that Prem’s American friend was staying with. Durga Khote is wonderful as Prem’s very critical mother who always talks about how things were back then as she starts to be cruel towards Indu as she would make things uneasy for Prem. Leela Naidu is amazing as Indu as this young woman that is just trying to be a good wife while dealing with her mother-in-law as she becomes more insecure around her. Finally, there’s Shashi Kapoor in a superb performance as Prem where he brings in all of the anxieties and immaturity as a newlywed who tries to adjust to his new situation and the expectations to be a husband and a man of importance.
The Householder is an excellent film from the Merchant-Ivory team. Thanks to its great cast, a compelling screenplay, and the additional contributions from famed Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray. The film is definitely a solid debut film from the team that would redefine the period piece films in the years to come. In the end, The Householder is a brilliant film from James Ivory.
James Ivory Films: (The Dehli Way) - Shakespeare Wallah - (The Guru) - Bombay Talkie - (Adventures of a Brown Man in Search of Civilization) - (Savages (1972 film)) - (Autobiography of a Princess) - (The Wild Party) - (Roseland) - (Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie’s Pictures) - (The Five Forty-Eight) - (The Europeans) - (Jane Austen in Manhattan) - (Quartet (1981 film)) - (Heat and Dust) - (The Bostonians) - A Room With a View - Maurice - (Slaves of New York) - (Mr. & Mrs. Bridges) - Howards End - The Remains of the Day - (Jefferson in Paris) - (Surviving Picasso) - (A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries) - (The Golden Bowl) - (Le Divorce) - (The White Countess) - (The City of Your Final Destination)
© thevoid99 2014
