Howards End (1992)

This elegant adaptation never hides grim insights into the upper middle classes while delivering perfect period detail and extraordinarily convincing portraits from Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. It stands as one of the finest conversions of a novel to cinema.

The critic urges surrender to the film's assured storytelling, remarkable acting, and rich period detail as a peak of traditional filmmaking. They single out the complex emotional depth achieved by the long-collaborating Merchant-Ivory-Jhabvala team and especially Emma Thompson's performance.

The critic praises the film as one of Merchant Ivory's best, highlighting the excellent performances, particularly by Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson, and its faithful adaptation of the novel's themes of class and connection.

Merchant Ivory delivers a handsome, intelligent and witty adaptation with a perfect cast. Thompson is wonderful in this delightful, pacey period piece that stands as one of their most memorable films.

The film delivers a more troubling and rigorous inquest into a bygone era than usual Merchant Ivory adaptations. It highlights the grasping Wilcoxes as villains and gives moral weight to the Basts' perspective on class and modernity.

Merchant-Ivory's third and most successful adaptation of Forster is a complex tale of class distinction in Edwardian England. Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins deliver standout performances in this story of social connections.

The film earns praise for Thompson's magnificent central performance and graceful bursts of emotion but is faulted for gliding over the novel's complexity and rushing key relationships. The adaptation's patient unfolding leads to a devastating conclusion despite narrative sacrifices.

The review calls the film a handsome, intelligent, and faithful dramatization that succeeds as storytelling thanks to strong performances, especially by Emma Thompson and Vanessa Redgrave. It praises the adaptation's skill but notes it misses some of Forster's deeper narrative strain and commentary.

The impeccable performances, led by Emma Thompson's seductive saintliness as Margaret, elevate the saga of inheritance, class clashes and tragedy. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala's overlong screenplay relies too heavily on black-outs to fit the novel's incidents.

The film is seen as a luxurious but empty frame, with Merchant-Ivory's fussy style and declarative dialogue failing to capture subtleties. Thompson and Redgrave's intelligent performances are singled out as the main elements that guide viewers through the episodic narrative.

The critic finds the film a sumptuous visual delight with rich texture and substance from start to finish. Thompson's compassionate and humorous performance as Margaret is singled out as the lifeblood of the picture alongside the ensemble and cinematography.

The critic hails the Merchant-Ivory-Jhabvala team's adaptation as a richly textured triumph that outshines other attempts at literary adaptations. They single out the film's entertaining depth and the team's consistent excellence with Forster material.

The critic calls the film a masterful work that creates sympathy and urgency in its characters' plights, praising its brisk pacing, beautiful cinematography, strong performances (especially Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins), and its status as a crown jewel of Merchant-Ivory's career.