markmuhl I shall be forgiven for using this somewhat odd headline (as an analogy to a famous book written by Jerome K. Jerome) but the one scene with the 3 naked men (one of them being a vicar) taking a bath in a pond and chasing each other around it is quite striking, because it does not really fit in with the prudery from the rest of the movie and it also illustrates that the whole story does not lack a certain sense of humour.I had the movie in good memory from my first watching in the movie-theatre back in the eighties and I was not disappointed now when streaming it, although I realized only this time that it is in fact a coming-of-age story besides being a period movie. It is the story of a well-educated teenager from the Edwardian period who has yet to learn to listen to her heart instead of trying to meet the expectations that strict society rules seem to demand from her. This is not such an easy achievement if you were raised in those days where society rules plaid a much bigger role than today and if you had always a chaperon next to you. Then there was the great financial dependence of women, which may have made them consider proposals in a positive way which they would not have otherwise. This must be taken into account to understand why Lucy at first accepted the engagement to Cecil (great performance by Daniel Day Lewis), a textbook example snob but wealthy enough for not having to work. Cecil however, is not the only snob in the movie. It seems that snobbery was quite widespread in the English upper classes in those days and the film is quite good in making fun of it, especially in the Italian scenes at the beginning. Less convincing in my eyes is the stabbing scene in the center of Florence with a young Italian guy getting killed out of the blue, which makes Lucy faint and fall into the strong arms of George. Also the fact that George and Lucy meet again in England seems to be a bit too coincidental (according to George it is fate) but on the other hand coincidents do happen and if so they are likely to be narrated.Anyway, it is quite enjoyable to watch unfold the obstacles to a love story in a period only about 110 years from now. There is already bicycles, trains and even tennis so that it is more the changes in society which makes it seem such a faraway time.

851222 Greetings from Lithuania."A Room with a View" (1985) is probably one of the slowest movies i have ever saw. Not that i don't liked it, i did overall, but my overall experience with the picture could have been far more positive if the narrative could have been a bit more faster - it takes it's simple story to tell an eternity. Acting was superb by all involved, especially by Daniel Day-Lewis who stole every scene as Cecil - amazing performance, if a bit theatrical, but this is Daniel Day-Lewis we are talking about. Story was simple, yet meaningful. The pacing of this movie is the worst thing in this picture - it is a very slow moving film, with running time almost 2 hours felt like two days, i literally was able to finish watching the whole movie in 5 days...Overall, "A Room with a View" is a very slow burning movie with great cast doing superb job. It tels good story in a great settings but the pacing is very poor - movie drags a lot.

MartinHafer The film is a story about manners--very, very, very proper and stuffy British manners during the Edwardian era. As a result of convention, Lucy (Carter) and George (Sands) are kept apart.Partway through watching "A Room With a View", I realized that, believe it or not, the underlying theme is the same as you'll find in "Jane Eyre"....seriously. Both concern social conventions and morality versus happiness and romantic passion. In the case of Jane, her love (Mr. Rochester) was not technically able to marry her and so she ran off--and lived, for a time, with a man in training to be a missionary and his family. The missionary had no passion at all for Jane but proposed--a marriage of convenience and intellect. Should she choose this good man or live with a man already married (Rochester)--albeit, his marriage was clearly a fraud perpetrated on him. Likewise, in "A Room With a View", Helena Bonham Carter's character must choose between a more worldly (and rather non-religious) Julian Sands or the incredibly stodgy and respectable fiancé (Daniel Day-Lewis). Either a marriage of predictability and convention or a marriage with passion, and, perhaps, irrespectability are her apparent choices. Now I am NOT complaining that the themes are the same...after all, "Jane Eyre" is one of my very favorite books (and is MUCH better than the movie versions).Some things to look for in this film--the gorgeous views of Florence, the lovely score and the funny (but very explicit) skinny-dipping scene. Clever and enjoyable...but also perhaps a bit slow due to its commentary about manners.

avgjoedc I say its nearly perfect, but I really cant fault it for anything. The performances are uniformly exquisite, the visuals/scenery are magnificent, the script follows the classic novel - but keeps the humor, irony, and pathos open to a modern audience. It is the most accessible and most enjoyable of the Merchant & Ivory translations of classic works - and really elevates the magic of the original EM Forster novel. While the leads keep the story going, the smaller roles constantly keep you amused. The aged sisters, the carefree brother, the nervous mother, the vicar, the bold authoress, etc all provoke a smile. And the last 3 minutes are simply delightful.