Rating: 
Summary: absolutely beautiful
Review: After seeing this movie I immediately ran to buy the book. Both book and film are so incredibly wonderful I hesitate to try to do justice to either in a review. The movie is really spectacular, staying impecably true to the book in pretty much every way. 99.9 percent of the movie's dialogue comes straight out of the book, unchanged. Besides the great script (thank you E. M. Fortster!) the acting is really amazing. There is not a single character in this movie who isn't perfectly portrayed. James Wilby as the title character gives a brilliantly multi-faceted performance and Rupert Graves as Alec Scudder makes you believe he has three times as many lines as he really does just through his expression and presence. I'll also give kudos to Hugh Grant because this was before his big break and therefore he actually gives a very admirable, non-egotisic performance. The only thing I resent is that the movie box has HIM on the cover... WHAT?! Ah, marketing. Sigh. But this movie is really a rare and beautiful piece of art. Like Forster, it is life and love-affirming. All of E. M. Forster's books have a beautiful quality of hope about them--they acknowledge that pain and suffering are parts of life, but they do not glorify them. This movie does a spectacular job of conveying that quality of the novel.
Rating:
Summary: Romantic and irresistible
Review: The filmmakers did an incredible job of bringing E.M. Forster's touching novel to life -- and I suspect that was no easy task because so much of the novel involves the main character's innermost thoughts and feelings. However, Merchant and Ivory did a beautiful job conveying the loneliness, fear and desperation of the main character, Maurice Hall.The movie follows Maurice (James Wilby) down his road of self-discovery; from his embarrassing teen years to Cambridge (where he gets his first exhilarating taste of love) to his post-collegiate years as a young man struggling to come to terms with his sexuality in a time when homosexuals were mercilessly persecuted. The movie is also very much about class struggle. Maurice is a gentleman born and bred, with a penchant for snobbery. As he comes to terms with his sexuality, he is forced to deal with differences in class when he realizes he is in love with someone from the serving class. Readers of the novel will be delighted as much of the wonderful dialogue from the book appears in the film. The characters were perfectly cast, with Hugh Grant (before he was a mega star) as Clive Durham, the perfect young gentleman from Cambridge (and Maurice's first love), Rupert Graves as the smoldering, lower class hunk who wins Maurice's heart, and Ben Kingsley in a hilarious turn as Maurice's junk-psychologist. James Wilby was spot-on in the title role and he perfectly captures the isolation, sadness and ultimate joy of the conflicted Maurice. "Maurice" is a touching love story that anyone -- straight or gay -- can enjoy. Romance knows neither of these terms. And, the movie *is* unabashedly romantic and optimistic -- your heart will soar when Maurice finally gives in, casts societal conventions aside and visits his beloved at the boathouse. The hopeful ending is inspiring, though the close-up of Clive at the window at the end of the movie will break your heart. Beautifully filmed, superbly acted -- a must-see film.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best films ever made, period
Review: "Maurice" is one of the best films ever made, and is certainly in the running for the best film ever made about male love. I just recently watched the DVD to see the movie again, and it's really strong stuff. But of course, consider what we have to work with! The original novel was written by E.M. Forster, certainly no slouch of a novelist. He wrote the whole story up, circulated it among friends only, and then calmly filed it away to be published after his death. (He knew what sort of people he was dealing with in England, and a lot of this comes out in the novel itself, of course.) So you take a terrific story, hand it to brilliant producers and directors and actors, and the result is a marvel. The scene in the boathouse at the end of the movie is just heartstopping, when Scudder says "Now we shan't never be parted again. It's finished!" FINALLY a movie which deals with love, with real love and real passion, and the next shot of the Hugh Grant character shutting himself up in his phony, closeted life because he has rejected love...ah, it's a masterpiece. Do yourself a favor and don't miss it!
Rating:
Summary: An exceptional film
Review: This is an exceptional film, the production quality was great and the acting was outstanding. It was romantic, dark, passionate and eye opening. The story is about two men who find that they are in love with each other at a time that such things are not done.( Makes you thankful for the progress we have made in learning to accept diversity.) One accepts his love and the other fights it. As time passed they change and the twist at the end inspires hope and sadness at the same time. This is an emotional film and you will be drawn in, you will feel the story and be moved by it. Without question this is a great addition to your collection and a sound investment.
Rating:
Summary: Finally on dvd!!!
Review: Some of the best films by the creative team of Merchant/Ivory were adapted from works of E. M. Foster. This beautifully filmed movie is a story about a young man who struggles with his sexual orientation and his status in society. James Wilby plays the title character honestly and with dignity as he searches for love, falling for a good friend ,Clive, (played by a young Hugh Grant) and eventually following his heart and falling for a young man of a lower class. "Maurice" and "A Room With a View" are great companion films and well worth an addition to your personal library. As a bonus, this new version of the film offers a second disc with extra features, but the real gift is that this film has finally been released on dvd. A classic film with a classic theme---the search for love and acceptance. I highly recommend this movie!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Gorgeous, breathtaking acting tour de force
Review: This is certainly one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen, from an aesthetic point of view. I felt swept up by the scenery, the music, the costumes. But, aside from the surface beauty, there beats underneath the heart of a true classic. This is one of Merchant/Ivory's most under-rated films. It is the adaptation of the E.M. Forster novel, 'Maurice', which itself remained un-published until after his death. The film is completely faithful to the book, so faithful, in fact, that it stretches to two and a half hours what could have been told in under two hours. But, no matter. It never ceases to amaze me how the British can produce films of such breath-taking detail and clarity, and spend only a fraction of the budget that their American counterparts do. James Wilby stars as Maurice Hall, who falls in love with his classmate, Clive Durham, portrayed by Hugh Grant. They are both undergraduates at Cambridge. The time is the Edwardian era, and they must keep their feelings under wraps. Clive is much more reserved than Maurice, in the long run. Eventually Clive gives in to the pressures from his mother (an icily perfect Judy Parfitt) and marries the pretty but uninteresting Anne (Phoebe Nichols). Maurice and Clive never consummated their relationship, and from the looks of things, there isn't much of a sexual relationship between Clive and his wife. Maurice finds his solace and his savior in Alec Scudder, the gamekeeper on Clive's estate, played with ferociously understated sensuality by Rupert Graves. Indeed, the second half of this film belongs to Rupert Graves. He is young, baby-faced, but with a deep voice and a confident swagger, and the simmering sexuality about ready to explode. You can see his feelings in his eyes. It would be impossible for Maurice to turn him down. This is where the film received some criticism; since Maurice and Alec are from different classes, backgrounds and education, surely their relationship would wither and fade once the passion had ended? E.M. Forster received the same criticism when he shared his manuscript with a few select friends. But, part of the reason the book succeeds is because of the belief and fervent hope that the relationship between Maurice and Alec will work. It must work, against all the odds of society. The portrayal of the period's homophobia is exquisite. There is a heartbreaking scene where Maurice tries to confide in the family doctor, portrayed by Denholm Elliott. Dr. Barrie merely reacts to Maurice in disgust. Maurice turns to a quack hypnotist, played by Ben Kingsley, but finds he cannot deny his true nature. Since Hugh Grant has become mega famous in the 10 plus years since the film was made, it is often referred to as a "Hugh Grant film." Grant is extremely reserved in the role, showing no signs of his future as a comic actor. I would have preferred him to portray Maurice Hall, however. James Wilby is sweet and believeable, but he lacks something in the role. Although he does balance well with the erotic Rupert Graves, as Maurice seems as confused and searching as he is intended to be. A breath-taking, entertaining and extremely intelligent film; I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Touching, moving and enthralling
Review: The various reviewers have said it all. So this is not so much a review as a personal testimony. I would just like to say how much I love this film. The first time I saw it was back in 1987, when it was released. Then, I didn't have the opportunity to see it again until recently, as a result of its being released in DVD, and I must say I was overwhelmed; even more so than in 1987, when I first saw it.I was particularly enthralled by the Cambridge scenes, but the film as a whole is flawless. The acting, the photography, the direction, the music are all excellent: the achievement of a team working in a state of grace.
For those who wish to prolong the atmosphere of "Maurice", I've just noticed that the soundtrack of the film (music composed by Richard Robbins) is available from Amazon (together with the soundtracks of "Room with a View" and "Howards End") at a very reasonable price. It is to be found in the "classical music" section.
The soundtrack is certainly optional, but the film isn't! Do yourself a favour, and add it to your collection!
Rating:
Summary: Deft, quiet romance
Review: Fans of Merchant Ivory's A Room with a View will find similarities here, in style and sensibility as well as the casting of secondary characters. This can be distracting if your first thought upon seeing Denholm Elliott is "Mr. Emerson!" but also lends a depth of place to the film. After all, both Maurice and A Room with a View were written by E.M. Forster; it's appropriate that some of the same faces should populate the world of both films. And certainly, after watching Rupert Graves as Alec Scudder climb in through Maurice's shadowed window, I'll never see Freddy Honeychurch the same way again. The most surprising and poignant performance of the film, however, belongs to Hugh Grant as the aristocrat who chooses society over love. After seeing Grant play nothing but cads and floppy bumblers (and play them well), I was astonished that he could convey sincere affection for another man as well as all the subtleties of Clive's struggle to deny his love for Maurice. It's a shame he's been cast in so few dramatic roles since this film. But aside from the context of the film and the skills of the actors, this is a touching, gently rendered story of a young man's growing acceptance of himself, and the joy that can come from choosing love over material wealth and status. In that sense it's as universal as any other romance and can - should - be enjoyed by anyone who views it with an open mind.
Rating:
Summary: This is the version to Buy
Review: I write this specifically for british and Australian members of Amazon who may have bought "Maurice" in the el-cheapo full screen DVD version which has been around for the last twelve months or so. I was shocked when I bought this(at the ridiculous price of $Aus9.99)to see a faded print in full frame and not particularly good sound and no extras. This new American release is like another world. Glorious to look at and with a whole second disc of special features (including a whole section of the movie in deleted scenes that was removed from the final cut). The interviews with the three actors are informative and intelligent. Rupert Graves is certainly one of Britain's finest and he hardly looks any older!!(why???how???) The deleted scenes do reconstruct a rather confusing opening sequence with a plotline that would be exorcised from the final film and it is easy to see why.These scenes that have been cut are quite erotic at times. There is also a bedroom scene between James Wilby and Hugh Grant, which is not sexual, but underscores the drama of the piece beautifully. Surely the best film Merchant Ivory ever made, now in all its glory at last. Beware of the earlier DVD release and grab this one as fast as you can.
Rating:
Summary: A fascinating glimpse
Review: This is the story of the love that dared not speak its name during the time it couldn't speak. Maurice is the title character of an E.M. Forster novel that Forster himself opted not to have published until after his death, due to the content. James Wilby and a then-unknown Hugh Grant star in this fabulous Merchant-Ivory production, that carries with it all the hallmark opulence that Merchant-Ivory are known for in other films such as 'A Room with a View' and 'A Passage to India' -- the music is impressive if understated, the characters superbly played by the actors (look for Simon Callow, himself a gay actor, as one of the innocent Victorian onlookers, and Ben Kingsley as a rather interesting character, one of the early psychologists to attempt to engage in what is today called reparative therapy). Maurice (Wilby) is trying to come to terms with being gay in his college days in late Victorian England. Clive Durham, a young man of property (Grant) has done the "gay" thing in college, but decides at some point that his station in society is more important, so he does his best to repress his true feelings, which leads to regret. Is this the same regret Forster had during his lifetime? My favorite line from the whole film has to be the psychologist Kingsley, who says the English have always been "disinclined" to accept human nature. The film does have a moral, but not one that hits you over the head. In the end, this is a love story, although not the kind you might expect, and we are left with an ambiguous ending, just like Forster's novel. The DVD has many extras, including deleted scenes, a reconstructed beginning, interviews with actors and production figures, and is re-done for the DVD with a stunning transfer. This is one of the best films ever made.
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