Maurice

A triumph of the Merchant Ivory aesthetic. The cast are gorgeous. The passion is polite. The conclusion is a little surprising. Well worth reviving.

This elegant, heart-rending romance is now ripe for the reclaiming as a gay landmark.

Maurice is a candid, lucid, passionate film.

A sumptuous film, whose beauty and importance has only increased with age. The very definition of a must-see.

With compassion, humor and detachment, James Ivory's superb film of E.M. Forster's "Maurice" takes us into the complacent, fixed world of Britain's privileged classes in the years immediately before World War I.

Wilby cracks the character's genteel surface, releasing bursts of fear, pride, and relief. His Maurice is neither martyr nor saint, radical only in his choice to pursue happiness.

That's what I like about this film: It goes into the social and cultural ramifications of being a gay man.

Maurice feels stifled, held back by its own desire to please its expectant audience.

A very frustrating movie. [Full review in Spanish]

Director James Ivory understands the political implications of his film better than anyone. Maurice rises above its predictable narrative through its resounding commitment to the idea that happiness will always triumph over a life in the closet.