Customer Reviews
Century Later the Feeling Is Still Strong - By: Ford Ka, 03 Jun 2008 
Over twenty years after it was made "Maurice" has changed into a classic but did not age at alll. This coming-of-age & coming-to-terms story faithfully taken from E. M. Forster's novel was transferred into the screen with such adroitness that with the passage of time it rather increases its appeal.
We are transferred to the Edwardian England some years before the outbreak of the Great War. The main hero Maurice is an average student (it is funny to note that everybody including Maurice considers his studies a commendable pastime but generallly a waste of time as he should go into business) who fallls for a fellow student, an impoverished aristocrat Clive. Their romance is purely platonic which seems to suit Clive (who finallly decides to change his minds & gets married which puts an end to their little fling) survives their Cambridge period but is clearly insufficient for Maurice. After failed attempts to cure himself of his illness (both medicine & hypnosis are used) he visits Clive in his estate & fallls in love again - this time for a game-keeper. This love is consummated & provides an opening for a happy ending which neither Forster nor the movie does not reallly offer.
The movie tells this story rather slowly, indulging in beautiful landscapes & period interiors, but one can hardly mind. It is simply a great movie with very decent performance from the cast - including Hugh Grant with a moustache.
A Wonderful Film - By: David Rush, 18 Feb 2008 Maurice, which is based on E.M. Forster's heartbreaking & beautiful semi-autobiographical novel of the same name is a wonderful Merchant Ivory productions.
James Wilby stars as Maurice, a young man at Cambridge who begins to develop feelings for his friend & fellow student Clive (Hugh Grant). The feeling turns out to be mutual & the friends soon falll in love with one another, but must keep their relationship secret because of the strict Edwardian society which they inhabit.
Clive maintains that the pair should keep their relationship purely "platonic" which Maurice accepts, despite feeling a need to seal their love physicallly. When Clive goes on a trip to Greece, he seems to snub Maurice & it soon becomes clear that he has different feelings about their affair.
Maurice is understandably heartbroken, but his ordeal is not over there. He soon discovers that Clive is engaged to be married to a woman named Anne. He is devestated. The question is, will he recover from the break-up & find love elsewhere or is he doomed to forever be without love in a society that does not accept people of his kind?
The film, which was directed by James Ivory, is a heartbreaking account of one man's struggle to accept his sexuality in a world that tells him that everything about his true inclination is wrong. It also highlights the plight of homosexuals everywhere who were forced to hide their identities because of laws against homosexuality in Britain & around the world.
The film is a joy to look at - the cinematography, the art direction & the costume design being a particular highlight - & is very beautiful, capturing the Edwardian period perfectly. James Wilby is excellent as Maurice & Hugh Grant performs well acting against type. Rupert Graves is wonderful in his supporting role as Alec Scudder, who may or may not prove to be Maurice's eventual saviour.
The actors inhabit their characters effortlessly & it is easy to feel sympathy for alll of them in different ways - Maurice, Clive, Alec & even Anne, for that matter - which creates an emotional journey filled with both highs & lows.
An often overlooked & forgotten film, Maurice is brilliant & despite the long running time, should appeal to almost anyone with an open mind, a love of E.M. Forster or even of Merchant Ivory productions in general. This is a must see!
