I’m on a mini Merchant Ivory film spree. I’ve started with A Room with a View and feel quite lifted by its playful tone. How will Maurice compare. We’re in Edwardian England. Early 1900s at Cambridge University to begin. It’s here we meet a lot of stuffy toffs like Risley (Mark Tandy), a self righteous arrogant type. Maurice (James Wilby) is much nicer. As is Clive (Hugh Grant). Reading Latin, punting down the river, all very jolly stuff as the young students philosophise and fall in love. Secretly of course. Not only is this frowned upon in Cambridges hallowed bible abiding halls. It’s still illegal in England. A fact that puts an instant strain on the affair. Compounded when the pair run off to the English summer countryside with its lush fields accompanied by a sweeping score, which gets Maurice in trouble with the Dean (Barry Foster) and kicked out of Cambridge. Don’t worry, he comes from money and is destined for the city, stock markets and such. Clive too has his life mapped out, for him it’s law and politics. None of this though supports a gay relationship. All seems well though as the pair stay in touch. Until that annoying Risley gets himself caught trying to kiss a solider behind a pub by the fuzz. Remember, illegal. This sends shockwaves through both Maurice and Clive. Clive in particular, who’s terrified and not only calls things off, but marries Anne (Phoebe Nicholls). Breaking Maurice’s heart. And ours. It’s sad to watch Maurice punish himself. After failing to find help with Dr Barry (Denholm Elliott), he sees Lasker-Jones (Ben Kingsley), who tries to cure him with hypnosis, until the hired help, Scudder (Rupert Graves) puts pay to that. Everyone is fantastic. Particularly Wilby and Grant who are both magnificent, portraying complex characters in a complex world. Playful it is not. Brilliant it is.
8/10
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