"DOWNTON ABBEY" – Series Three (2012) Retrospective

 

"DOWNTON ABBEY" – Series Three (2012) Retrospective

It had taken me a while to get around watching Series Three of "DOWNTON ABBEY" when it first aired. I had been inclined to watch it, while it aired on PBS last winter. But in the end, I decided to wait until the DVD release was offered through Netflix.

I suspect that some of my reluctance to watch the show's Series Three could be traced to my major disappointment over the lackluster Series Two. In fact, a part of me was amazed that the series' shoddy look at World War I could end up with an Emmy nomination for Best Drama. But I figured that series creator, Julian Fellowes, would make up for the Emmy-nominated disaster known as Series Two with an improved third season. In the end, Series Three proved to be an improvement. Somewhat.

What did I like about Series Three of "DOWNTON ABBEY"? It possessed three plot lines that I found a good deal to admire:

1) The estate's financial crisis
2) Valet Thomas Barrow's infatuation with new footman Jimmy Kent
3) Lady Sybil Branson's death

Downton Abbey's financial crisis, kick-started by Robert, the Earl of Grantham's disastrous investment into Canada's Grand Trunk Railway, which truly emphasized the peer's inability to handle money and his estate. In fact, this story line also exposed Lord Grantham's other flaws - stubborness and inability to move with the times - in full force. Actually, the third story line involving the death of his youngest daughter, Lady Sybil Branson - of childbirth, did not paint a pretty picture of the peer, considering that his decision to ignore Dr. Clarkson's medical advice led to Lady Sybil's tragic death, following the birth of his oldest grandchild. The plot regarding Thomas Barrow's feelings for Jimmy Kent allowed Fellowes to explore the status of homosexuals during early 20th century Britain. The plot surrounding Lady Sybil's death in Episode Five not only proved to be heartbreaking, but also featured fine performances from the departing Jessica Findlay-Brown as the doomed Lady Sybil; Allen Leech as Sybil's husband Tom Branson; David Robb as the desperate Dr. Clarkson; Rob James-Collier as a grieving Thomas Barrow; Hugh Bonneville as the Earl of Grantham; a guest appearance by Tim Pigott-Smith as the society doctor recruited by Lord Grantham to treat Lady Sybil; and especially Elizabeth McGovern, who I believe gave the best performance as Lady Sybil's grieving mother, the American-born Countess of Grantham.

But even these first-rate story lines were marred by some questionable writing. Lord Grantham's bad investment and financial loss had the family flailing for a bit, until salvation appeared in the form of a possible inheritance for the peer's heir presumptive, son-in-law Matthew Crawley. The latter learned that Reginald Swire, the recently dead father of his late fiancée had named him as an heir to his vast fortune. Matthew felt reluctant to accept money from Lavinia Swire's money, considering what happened before her death in Series Two. Most fans expressed frustration at Matthew's reluctance to accept the money and save Downton Abbey. I felt nothing but contempt toward Fellowes for utilizing this ludicrous plot point to save the estate from financial ruin. I found it absolutely tasteless that Matthew would inherit money from the father of the fiancée who witnessed him kissing his future wife Lady Mary Crawley, before succumbing of the Spanish Flu. This was just tackiness beyond belief.

And I wish Fellowes had found another way for Lord Grantham or Matthew to acquire the cash needed to save the estate. Lady Sybil's death and Lord Grantham's participation in it led to a serious marital estrangement between the peer and his wife, who angrily blamed him for ignoring Dr. Clarkson's medical advice. Lady Grantham's anger lasted through most of Episode Six, until the Dowager Lady Grantham convinced the good doctor to lie to her son and daughter-in-law that his medical advice may not have saved Lady Sybil in the end, ending Lady Grantham's anger and the marital strife between the pair. I suspect the majority of the series' fans were relieved that Lord and Lady Grantham's marriage had been saved before it could get any worse. I was not. I saw this as Fellowes' reluctance or inability to fully explore the negative consequences of Sybil's death. Even worse, I saw this as artistic cowardice on Fellowes' part. A martial conflict between Robert and Cora could have spelled a dramatic gold mine.

Even the Thomas Barrow-Jimmy Kent storyline was marred by aspects that led me to shake my head in disbelief. The entire matter began with a minor feud between former friends Thomas and lady's maid Sarah O'Brien over the former's unwillingness to help the latter's nephew, Alfred Nugent, with his duties. One, why would Thomas refuse to help the nephew of his only friend on the estate? And two, this little incident led O'Brien to escalate the feud, leading her to set up a scheme that would expose Thomas' homosexuality? It seemed to come out of no where. This story line ended with more head scratching for me. First, Fellowes had Thomas sneaking into Jimmy's bedroom for some petting and caresses, making for the former look like a sexual molester. One would think after his experiences with the Duke of Crowborough and Mr. Pamuk would have led him to be more careful. And following his exposure, Thomas faced losing his job and being arrested and convicted for his sexual preference. And while he faced personal censure from Mr. Carson, Alfred and the object of his desire, Jimmy Kent; most of Downton Abbey's inhabitants seemed unusually tolerate of Thomas'homosexuality. Only Lord Grantham's tolerance seemed to ring true, in light of his comments.

But there were other aspects of Series Three that failed to impress me. I read somewhere that Dan Stevens had informed Fellowes that he would not return for a fourth season, before they started filming this season. Judging from most of Stevens' clunky dialogue in many of the episode, I got the feeling that Fellowes took his revenge on the actor. Stevens' last lines following the birth of Matthew and Lady Mary's son seemed like pure torture - "Can this hot and dusty traveler enter?" and "Oh my darling, I feel like I've swallowed fireworks!". Fortunately, Stevens was provided with one scene in which he truly shone - when Matthew lost his temper over his father-in-law's refusal to consider modernizing Downton Abbey's estate management. And Matthew's death in that last episode was one of the most clumsily directed sequences I have ever seen during the series' three seasons, so far. Many critics and viewers blamed Shirley MacLaine for the poor characterization of Lady Grantham's American mother, Martha Levinson. Even Fellowes went so far as to claim in this 2012 article that Americans cannot do period drama. Frankly, I found his comment full of shit and those critics and viewers unwilling to admit that the producer-writer did a piss-poor job in his creation of Martha's character. Poor MacLaine was saddled with some ridiculous dialogue that no actor or actress - no matter how good they are - can overcome. Look at what happened to Dan Stevens. And he is British. Like Stevens, MacLaine had her moment in the sun, when her character saved a disastrous dinner party-in-the-making by transforming it into a cocktail party in Episode Two.

Poor Brendan Coyle and Joanne Foggett were saddled with the long and tedious story line surrounding Bates' time in prison and his wife Anna's efforts to exonerate. Every time that particular plot appeared on the screen, I found myself forced to press the Fast-Forward button of my DVD remote control. When Bates finally left prison, he and Anna proved that their romance had become incredibly dull by three seasons. And could someone explain why the Crawleys suddenly believed that Sir Anthony Strallan was too old for middle daughter, Lady Edith Crawley. They certainly felt differently six years ago in Series One, as they considered him as a potential mate for both Lady Edith and Lady Mary. And I find it hard to believe that an arm damaged by the war would turn him into an unwanted son-in-law. I find that too ridiculous to believe. And when Lady Edith found love again, she discovered that the object of her desire - a magazine editor named Michael Gregson - was a married man. And he could not get a divorce, because his wife was mentally handicapped and living in an asylum. In other words, Fellowes had to borrow from Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel, "Jane Eyre" to make this story interesting. Unfortunately, I did not find the circumstances of Gregson's marriage interesting. Merely unoriginal.

I could go on about the numerous problems I encountered in Series Three. Believe me, I found more. Among them are the number of story lines that Fellowes introduced and dropped during this season. I have already discussed how he ended a potential estrangement between Lord and Lady Grantham before it could get into full swing. Other dropped story lines included:

*Mrs. Hughes' cancer scare
*Mrs. Patmore's relationship with a new shopkeeper
*A potential romance between Isobel Crawley and Dr. Clarkson
*Tom and Lady Sybil Branson in Ireland, which was never explored
*Tom Branson's revolutionary beliefs nipped in the bud

I noticed that "DOWNTON ABBEY" recently received several Emmy nominations - including one for Best Drama. Best Drama? I was disgusted when I heard the news. My disgust did not stem from any dislike of the show. "DOWNTON ABBEY" may be flawed, but it is still entertaining. But I believe it was not good enough to be considered for a Best Drama Emmy nomination. Even worse, a far superior series like FX's "THE AMERICANS" had been overlooked for the same category. Series Three of "DOWNTON ABBEY" had some good moments - especially Episode Five, which featured the death of Lady Sybil Branson. And I found it slightly better than Series Two. But the series had continued to be a ghost of its former self. Series Three  still failed to reach the same level of quality of Series One. And even that was not perfect.

"DOWNTON ABBEY" Series Three (2012) Photo Gallery

 

Below are images from Series Three of the ITV series, "DOWNTON ABBEY", created by Julian Fellowes: 

"DOWNTON ABBEY" Series Three (2012) Photo Gallery

"DOWNTON ABBEY" – Series Two (2011) Retrospective

"DOWNTON ABBEY" – SERIES TWO (2011) Retrospective

The debut of Julian Fellowes' series about an aristocratic family during the last few years before the outbreak of World War I garnered a great deal acclaim and awards, earlier this year. The success of the series led the ITV and Fellowes to continue the saga of the Earl of Grantham, his family and servants in a new season.

Series Two of "DOWNTON ABBEY" covered the last two years of World War I and the first year of peace during the years 1916 to 1919. Episode One began with Matthew Crawley, the heir presumptive for the Earl of Grantham enduring the last days of the Somme Offensive in November 1916. The story immediately shifted toward the personal dramas that unfolded over eight to nine episodes.

Series One focused upon the entail issue that prevented Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham from bequeathing his title or any of his fortune to his three daughters - Lady Mary, Lady Edith and Lady Sybil Crawley and forced him to accept Matthew Crawley, a third cousin raised as a middle-class cousin as his heir. Season Two focused upon the Crawleys' attempts to adjust to the changes caused by the war, their love lives and the impact of the war upon their servants.

One of the main subplots introduced in this season's first episode turned out to be Matthew's engagement to Lavinia Swire, the daughter of a London solicitor. Most of the family and servants like Mr. Carson oppose Matthew's engagement to Lavinia, due to her status as a member of the middle-class and her position as an impediment to a reconciliation between Matthew and the family's elder daughter, Lady Mary. The youngest Crawley daughter, Lady Sybil, becomes a wartime nurse and faces a growing attraction to the family's Irish-born chauffeur, Tom Branson. Meanwhile, middle daughter Lady Edith learns how to drive and later, becomes a nurse's aide. Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham embarks on a campaign to ensure Matthew and Lady Mary's engagement. Meanwhile, the scandal from her Season One encounter with Turkish diplomat, Kamal Pamuk, threatens to rear its ugly head for Lady Mary. She seeks help from Sir Richard Carlisle, a suitor, to nip the scandal in the bud. But he exacts a price from her, for his help - an official engagement to marry. Cora, Countess of Grantham and Matthew's mother, Isobel Crawley, transform Downton Abbey into a convalescent hospital for Army officers. The two become involved in a power struggle before Lady Grantham assumes full control. Only Lord Grantham spends the rest of the war with nothing to do and sinks into a depression over his inactivity.

Most of the servants continue their household duties at Downton Abbey. Just as valet John Bates announces his intentions to divorce his wife to lady love and head housemaid Anna Smith, his wife Vera make the first of a few visits. Her threat to expose Lady Mary's Season One tryst with the dead Turkish diplomat, Mr. Kemal Pamuk, forces Bates to give up his position as Lord Grantham's valet and return to her. After being needled for being out of uniform, footman William Mason caves in and joins the Army. His decision eventually has an impact on Daisy, the scullery maid for whom he harbors unrequited love. Both the cook Mrs. Patmore and housekeeper Mrs. Hughes, pressures Daisy into becoming William's fiancé before he leaves for the war front in Episode Three. And when William returns to Downton Abbey, mortally wounded, Mrs. Patmore coerces Daisy into marrying him out of pity, leaving a bad taste in the scullery maid's mouth. After the trick she had pulled that cause Lady Grantham to miscarry in Season One, lady's maid Sarah O'Brien becomes increasingly devoted to her mistress. Yet, she continues to go out of her way to make life miserable for Mr. Bates, by communicating with his wife. Downton Abbey's new housemaid, Ethel Parks, becomes involved with one of the patients at the Crawleys' convalescent hospital, which results in a baby for her. She seeks help from Mrs. Hughes to contact the officer's parents for financial assistance. Former footman Thomas Barrow started out the season as a medic in France. But the horrors of war drives him to deliberately expose his hand to gunfire in order to permanently leave the front. He eventually becomes a medic at the local hospital near the Crawley estate and later, as an aide at the Crawleys' convalescent hospital.

I just learned that "DOWNTON ABBEY" recently entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the "most critically acclaimed English-language television show" for 2011, becoming the first co-produced U.S./British show to be recognised as such by the Guinness Book of Records. One, I did not know that "DOWNTON ABBEY" was co-produced in both Great Britain and the U.S. And two, as much as I enjoy the series, I am beginning to feel that a good deal of its acclaim might be undeserved.

One might assume that I dislike "DOWNTON ABBEY". On the contrary, I like it very much. I became a big fan of the series when its first season aired. But I also noticed certain flaws in Julian Fellowes' depiction of Downton Abbey's inhabitants that continued to both flourish and increase in Season Two. There were aspects of Season Two that I admired. The cast, led by Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern continued to give first-rate performances. Michelle Dockery and Maggie Smith's performances seemed to stand out with most fans and critics. I cannot say that I agree with them. I suspect that Fellowes' detailed attention to Dockery's character and Smith's witty one-liners made them more popular than the other characters. The series' early 20th century costumes remained exquisite as ever, thanks to Susannah Buxton and Rosalind Ebbutt's designs. And aside from the few combat sequences, the series' production values and designs continued to be top-notch.

The second season of "DOWNTON ABBEY" provided some truly memorable moments. The Spanish Flu sequence in Episode Eight impressed me, with the exception of how the epidemic claimed its only victim. People might find this surprising, but I have always enjoyed Laura Carmichael's portrayal of middle daughter, Lady Edith. She was never a villainess to me even back in Season One. I understood her problems. However, I was happy to see that her character developed further when she finally overcame her resentment toward older sister, Lady Mary. I also enjoyed watching the experiences of former footman Thomas Barrow in the season's first two episodes. The scenes featuring his combat experiences in France and his work with Dr. Clarkson and Lady Sybil Crawley at the village hospital really impressed me. One other character that made Season Two bearable for me, turned out to be Mrs. Hughes, the family's housekeeper. Her down-to-earth nature, along with her efforts to help housemaid Ethel Parks and her comments about Lady Mary pretty much anchored the season for me.

Unfortunately . . . when it came to Season Two, the bad outweighed the good. One of my complaints about Season One was that the only characters that seemed to display any real complexity were members of the aristocratic Crawley family. Aside from a few scenes, most of the servants continued to be portrayed in a one-dimensional manner. In Julian Fellowes' world (without Robert Altman and Bob Balaban looking over his shoulders), the only good working-class character was one loyal to his or her employer.

From the moment she was introduced arrogantly proclaiming her desire for a life outside of service, Ethel Parks was doomed. Unlike Gwen Dawson from Season One, she did not seek or acquire the help from a Crawley to rise in the world. She slept with an officer and paid the price with a baby and unemployment. Fellowes seemed to have ceased portraying former footman Thomas as a one-note villain and portray him in a more sympathetic light in the season's first two episodes. By the time Thomas returned to Downton Abbey as a medic at the estate's convalescent hospital, the former footman returned to his usual sneers and sharp comments. Only he did so, standing in the doorway or sitting at the servants' table, sneering. And when he tried to earn enough money through the black market to start his own business at the end of the war, he discovered that he had been swindled. Thomas was forced to seek work at Downton Abbey again. I cannot help but wonder if he would have been more successful if he had sought the "noble" help of Lord Grantham or some other member of the Crawley family.

The subplot involving Daisy, William and Mrs. Patmore disgusted me. Period. I found it bad enough that Mrs. Patmore bullied and cajoled Daisy into a deception by becoming William's fiancée and later, his wife. In the "Christmas Special", Fellowes decided to condone Mrs. Patmore's bullying by allowing Daisy to form some kind of relationship with William's dad. It was sickening to watch and I cannot believe that Fellowes would actually finish a subplot on this note, because many of the fans wanted Daisy to be in love with William. Mr. Carson remained ridiculously loyal to the Crawleys and more importantly, to Lady Mary. In fact, his loyalty led him to consistently make insulting and snobbish remarks about Matthew's middle-class fiancée, Lavinia. Anyone could have perceived this as part of Fellowes' efforts to portray Mr. Carson in an ambiguous light. Unfortunately, Fellowes' one-dimensional portrayal of Lavinia as a dull "goody-goody" have led many fans to embrace Mr. Carson's disapproval of her. On the other hand, Fellowes did an excellent job in assassinating the family's radical chauffeur, Tom Branson. His friendship with Lady Sybil had created a shipper's following by the end of Season One. But once Fellowes ridiculed Branson's radicial beliefs in two scenes - his plan to embarrass a visiting British Army general, which backfired; and his casual dismissal of the Romanovs - he became one of the most disliked characters of Season Two. And many fans expressed disapproval when Lady Sybil began to hint some kind of attraction toward him, claiming that their relationship lacked any chemistry. The hypocrisy toward Branson, generated by Fellowes' conservatism, was astounding to witness. Even Sarah O'Brien did not fare well. Although she became more loyal toward the Countess of Grantham following the latter's miscarriage in Season One, O'Brien continued her hostility toward John Bates even when Thomas lost interest in the valet. And the reason behind O'Brien's hostility remained consistently vague, until she dropped it altogether in the wake of Bates' arrest.

Speaking of Bates, his romance with Anna Smith turned out to be one of the biggest jokes of the season. I never thought it would come to this. Honestly. Aside from the appearance of the one-note villainous Vera Bates, nothing happened. I am trying to remember what was so interesting about their relationship. Instead, I find myself recalling how much I found Bates' martyr complex so tedious. Why on earth would he give up a job that he liked to prevent the likes of Lady Mary from facing a scandal about her one night tryst with the late Kemal Pamuk? I mean . . . really! If Vera Bates knew about the scandal, half of Britain's upper-class families and their servants must have heard the rumor. Meanwhile, Anna kept making a chump of herself, while buying Bates' promises of how he was going to get rid of Vera. I wish Fellowes never brought her on the scene in the first place. I enjoyed Maria Doyle Kennedy's performance in "THE TUDORS", but ended up with one of the dullest and badly written villains in television history.

For once, the Crawley family did not fare any better. Lady Mary remained the only upper-class character with any real complexity and a strong subplot. I suspect that the character became a personal favorite of Fellowes, and actress Michelle Dockery benefited a great deal from his writing. However, not even she or Dan Stevens could overcome the maudlin romance that their characters had been saddled with in Season Two. The Matthew/Mary romance had started as an interesting one in Season One, and transformed into a cliché-riddled love story fit for a bad romance novel. The two worse moments in their relationship turned out to be that Godawful moment when Matthew (who had been reported missing) suddenly appeared at Downton Abbey during a concert, joining Mary in "If You Were the Only Girl" and when Mary experienced a "feeling" the moment Matthew suffered a major wound in Episode Five. I had to struggle to keep from throwing up during both scenes. And although Lady Edith managed to overcome her resentment of Lady Mary, the two subplots that Fellowes saddled on her character went no where. The "Patrick Crawley" subplot, in which a Canadian officer claimed to be one of her father's former heirs . . . simply went no where. Her "affair" with a local farmer, which consisted of a kiss, ended just as soon as the farmer's wife had her dismissed. I have already revealed what happened with Lady Sybil's relationship with Tom Branson.

Cora, Countess of Grantham was involved in two major subplots. One involved her power struggle with Isobel Crawley (Matthew's mother) over who would manage the convalescent hospital and Downton Abbey. Poor Isobel was portrayed as a tyrannical do-gooder from the middle-class. And many fans cheered when Cora managed oust her from Downton Abbey. I did not. All Cora had to do was remind Isobel that she was mistress of Downton Abbey, while the latter continue to run the hospital. Instead, she resorted to a passive-aggressive means to get rid of Isobel and I ended up feeling disgusted. I was also disgusted by the machinations that Cora and the Dowager Countess used to detract Isobel from keeping the convalescent hospital opened after the war ended. I found it ridiculous. They seemed incapable of simply telling Isobel that Downton Abbey would return to being a private home. Yet, once again, fans cheered over the aristocratic women's triumph. Sickening. Robert, the Earl of Grantham came close to being written as a complex character. He spent most of the season feeling useless, because he was unable to obtain a command and go to the front. Eventually, Robert's feelings of uselessness and abandonment led him to become romantically involved with a housemaid named Jane Moorsum. This subplot would have worked, if it had been introduced . . . before Episode Five. Aside from plotting Lady Mary and Matthew's reconciliation, Violet, the Dowager Countess spent most of the season spouting one-liners. I hate to say this, but I eventually found this tiresome. Poor Maggie Smith had been reduced to being the show's comic relief.

Thanks to Vera Bates, Lady Mary had to seek the help of her suitor, press baron Sir Richard Carlisle, to help her get rid of the blackmailing woman. In return, Lady Mary promised to become officially engaged to Sir Richard. Poor Iain Glen. Vera Bates was not the only badly written villain to appear in Season Two. Sir Richard was another. Despite his title, Sir Richard was a self-made man, who certainly did not originate from the upper-classes. Both Lady Mary and Lord Grantham did not hesitate to let him know. More importantly, Fellowes did not hesitate to portray him as some mustache-twirling villain without any complexities, whatsoever. Which is not surprising, considering he was not an aristocrat. Poor Iain Glen. His previous roles were a hell of a lot more ambiguous and interesting than Sir Richard "Snidely Whiplash" Carlisle.

I might as well face it. Season Two of "DOWNTON ABBEY" disappointed me. Sure, there were a few aspects about it that I found admirable. But Fellowes' writing simply undermined the show's quality. I had hoped that his portrayal of the Crawleys' servants would improve from Season One. It did not. Worse, the season was marred by incomplete subplots that went no where and badly written romances that left me shaking my head in disgust. I am almost tempted not to watch Season Three.  But I will in the hopes that it will signal a return to form.

"DOWNTON ABBEY" Season Two (2011) Photo Gallery

Below are images from Series Two of the ITV series, "DOWNTON ABBEY", created by Julian Fellowes: 


"DOWNTON ABBEY" SEASON TWO (2011) Photo Gallery

"A ROOM WITH A VIEW" (1985-86) Review

"A ROOM WITH A VIEW" (1985-86) Review

Ah, Merchant and Ivory! Whenever I hear those particular names, my mind usually generates images of Britons in Edwardian dress, strolling along a London street, across a wide lawn or even along some city boulevard in a country other than Great Britain. In other words, the images from their movie, "A ROOM WITH A VIEW" usually fills my brain. 

Ishmail Merchant and James Ivory produced and directed this adaptation of E.M. Forster's 1908 novel, which first hit the theaters in Great Britain during the early winter of 1985. Four months later, the movie was released in American movie theaters. Forster's tale is basically a coming-of-age story about a young Edwardian woman, who finds herself torn between her superficial and snobbish fiancé and the free-thinking son of a retired journalist, whom she had met during her Italian vacation. The movie begins with the arrival of young Lucy Honeychurch and her cousin/chaperone Charlotte Barlett to a small pensione in Florence, Italy. Not only does Lucy have a reunion with her family's local clergyman, the Reverend Mr. Beebe; she and Charlotte meet a non-conformist father and son pair named Mr. Emerson and his son, George. The Emersons agree to exchange their room - which has a view - with the one occupied by Lucy and Charlotte. Lucy becomes further acquainted with George after the pair witness a murder in the city's square and he openly expresses his feelings to her. Matters come to a head between the young couple when George kisses Lucy during a picnic for the pensione's British visitors, outside of the city. Charlotte witnesses the kiss and not only insists that she and Lucy return to the pensione, but also put some distance between them and the Emersons by leaving Florence. 

A few months later finds Lucy back at her home in Windy Corners, England. She had just accepted a marriage proposal from the wealthy, yet intellectually snobbish Cecil Vyse; much to her mother and brother Freddy's silent displeasure. Matters take a turn for the worse when George and Mr. Emerson move to an empty cottage in Windy Corners, she soon learns that both George and his father have moved to her small village, thanks to Cecil's recommendation. With George back in her life, Lucy's suppressed feelings return. It is not long before she is internally divided between her feelings for George and her growing fear that Cecil might not be the man for her.

What can I say about "A ROOM WITH THE VIEW"? It was the first British-produced costume drama I had ever seen in the movie theaters. Hell, it was the first Merchant-Ivory production I had ever seen . . . period. Has it held up in the past twenty-eight years? Well . . . it is not perfect. The problem is other than Julian Sands' performance, I cannot think of any real imperfections in the movie. A view have pointed out that its quaintness has made it more dated over the years. Frankly, I found it fresh as ever. Who am I kidding? I loved the movie when I first saw it 28 years ago, and still loved it when I recently watched it.

One would think that the movie's critique of a conservative society would seem outdated in the early 21st century. But considering the growing conservatism of the past decade or so, perhaps "A ROOM WITH A VIEW" is not as outdated as one would believe, considering its Edwardian setting. Mind you, I found some the Emersons' commentaries on life rather pretentious and in George's case, a bit long-winded. But I cannot deny that their observations, however long-winded, struck me as dead on. More importantly, Foster's novel and by extension, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala's screenplay, makes Foster's observations more easy to swallow thanks to a very humorous and witty tale. Another aspect that I enjoyed about "A ROOM WITH A VIEW" was how Foster's liberalism had an impact on the love story between Lucy and George. I find it interesting how Foster managed to point out the differences between genuine liberals like the Emersons and pretenders like Cecil Vyse, who use such beliefs to feed his own sense of superiority. 

While watching "A ROOM WITH A VIEW", it seemed very apparent to me, that it is still a beautiful movie to look at. The movie not only won a Best Adapted Screenplay award for screenwriter, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala; but also two technical awards for the movie's visual style. Gianni Quaranta, Brian Ackland-Snow, Brian Savegar, Elio Altamura served as the team for the movie's art direction and won an Academy Award for their efforts. The art designs they created for the movie's Edwardian setting is stunning. I can also say the same about the Academy Award winning costume designs created by Jenny Beavan and John Bright. Below are two examples of their work:





And Tony Pierce-Roberts earned a much deserved Oscar for his beautiful and lush photography of both Tuscany in Italy and various English locations that served as the movie's settings.

One of the best aspects of "A ROOM WITH A VIEW" has to be its cast of entertaining, yet flawed characters. First of all, the movie featured rich, supporting characters like Lucy's charming, yet gauche brother Freddy; the very verbose and open-minded Reverend Beebe; the always exasperated Mrs. Honeychurch; the indiscreet and pretentious novelist, Eleanor Lavish (in some ways another Cecil); and the snobbish and controlling Reverend Eager. And it is due to the superb performances of Rupert Graves, the always entertaining Simon Callow, Rosemary Leach, the even more amazing Judi Dench and Patrick Godfrey that allowed these characters to come to life. 

Both Maggie Smith and Denholm Elliot earned well-deserved Academy Award nominations for their unforgettable performances as Charlotte Barlett, Lucy's passive-aggressive cousin; and George's brash and open-minded father, Mr. Emerson. Charlotte must be one of the most fidgety characters ever portrayed by Smith, yet she conveyed this trait with such subtlety that I could not help but feel disappointed that she did not collect that Oscar. And Elliot did a marvelous job in portraying Mr. Emerson with the right balance of humor and pathos. Daniel Day-Lewis did not earn an Oscar nomination for his hilarious portrayal of Lucy's snobbish and pretentious fiancé, Cecil Vyse. But he did win the National Board of Review award for Best Supporting Actor. Although there were moments when I found his performance a bit too mannered, I cannot deny that he deserved that award. 

The role of Lucy Honeychurch made Helena Bonham-Carter a star. And it is easy to see why. The actress did an excellent job of not only portraying Lucy's quiet, yet steady persona as a well-bred Englishwoman. And at the same time, she also managed to convey the character's peevishness and a passive-aggressive streak that strongly reminded me of Charlotte Barlett. The only bad apple in the barrel proved to be Julian Sands' performance as the overtly romantic, yet brooding George Emerson. Too be honest, I found a good deal of his performance rather flat. This flatness usually came out when Sands opened his mouth. He has never struck me as a verbose actor. However, I must admit that he actually managed to shine in one scene in which George openly declared his feelings for Lucy. And with his mouth shut, Sands proved he could be a very effective screen actor.

Looking back on "A ROOM WITH A VIEW", I still find it difficult to agree with that blogger who stated that it had become somewhat dated over the years. Not only does the movie seem livelier than ever after 28 to 20 years, its theme of freedom from social repression still resonates . . . something I suspect that many would refuse to admit. Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, along with Oscar winner screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala created a work of art that has not lost its beauty and its bite after so many years.