Rating: 
Summary: Maurice in DVD Format
Review: When will "Maurice" be availabe on DVD??
Rating:
Summary: the silent society
Review: I found this movie to be very interesting in that it revealed the silent society, or the silent presence of a culture that was held to dishonour and persecution. It reminded me of todays society, and even though there are many openly gay people and organizations, there is still that silent presence in many "religious institutions". To be openly gay is to bring disaster upon yourself. What I really took notice of, was at the end. Maurice stopped by his first love Clyve to speak to him of his present situation with Scutter. Clyve attempts to show that he is happy with being married to a lovely girl, but in the end, it appears that Clyve is not really happy with being married to this woman. There is a deep rooted thought going through Clyve's mind. I got the feeling that Clyve would have been happier in being with Maurice, if he hadn't bent to the will of his mother, society, and the fear of loosing everything if he was ever caught.It is a very good movie to watch and match today's social attitude with the 1914/16 period of English history. Not much seems to change.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely beautiful and wonderful movie
Review: I love this movie so much that I have seen it like ten times since I got it a couple of days ago. Maurice is a brilliantly crafted movie/book. The movie follows the book almost to a fault, and in fact I feel like the movie is in some ways better than the book, except for the fact that the book obviously affords more explanation of the plot and character feelings--and of course parts of the book are left out of the movie or changed around, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Anyway, I highly recommend both watching this movie and reading the book because this story is just so beautiful and so well crafted that only the most ardent hater of the homosexual lifestyle could totally hate it. Since I absolutely adore happy endings, this story makes me very very happy because many gay books/movies do not have them, so it is nice to see a gay story end with the couple seeming to be truly in love and have a chance at having a lasting relationship, although their life together would obviously be filled with trials and tribulations, given the extremely high level of homophobia in England in the 1910's. I really really recommend also getting the book along with the movie because there is a "Terminal Note" at the end of the book that is really nice to have because it is the author's explanation on how he came about to write the book and how he crafted the three main characters of Maurice, Clive, and Alec. This book/movie is an extremely moving social commentary on society's refusal to accept people who do not fit into its idea of what is normal. Maurice definitely does not choose to be a homosexual; he even tries to be "cured" of his "unmentionable" yearnings and feelings, but to no avail. Yet given society's completely unreasonable viewpoint towards homosexuality, he can either be like Clive, and enter into a loveless marriage that is unsatisfying for both he and his wife, or he is doomed to a life of utter loneliness, if he wants to live a life that is acceptable to the general population--one that will not land him in jail like Risley. The only thing that I do not like about this movie is that some of the dialogue is difficult if not impossible to understand, but this does not detract all that much from the movie.
Rating:
Summary: wonderful film...great performances!
Review: ...just a wonderful film on all counts... certainly one of Merchant/Ivory's lesser known films...more than likely because of its' theme of homosexuality but certainly one of their best! James Wilby is splendid in the lead and even Hugh Grant, who I sometimes find rather wooden is quite good but Rupert Graves is electifying as the gamekeeper! This role should have made him a superstar on par with Olivier! He is touching, heartbreaking and utterly believable in such a demanding role. NOTE: you simply must read the E. M. Forster novel on which this film was based. The man is a true literary giant!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent movie, even better book!
Review: I first read E.M. Forster's novel "Maurice" in college. The movie brings to life all the same emotions and images Mr. Forster's book brought to life in my head, only with a great soundtrack! It's the story of a young man's coming to terms with his sexuality in pre-WW I Edwardian England. Homosexuality is still illegal and as upperclassmen very taboo to even be associated with someone who might "morally" corrupt those who are socially beneath them. The story really begins when Maurice begins his second term at college where he meets fellow classmate Clive Durham (Hugh Grant). Clive, exploring his own sexuality (albeit Platonic), falls in love with Maurice. At first Maurice is horrified, but later the two find a kind of happiness together, which must be kept secret from everyone else. Maurice is content, although it's an asexual relationship. Eventually their relationship dissolves and Clive chooses to marry, thus carrying on his lineage and coming into his inheritance. Maurice is crushed, and eventually seeks help to "cure" him by means of a hypnotist (very well played by Ben Kingsley). Maurice eventually falls in love with Clive's gamekeeper (note the D.H. Lawrence influence here!). He finds happiness at last despite the British Class system. The cast is superb, from James Wilby (Maurice) and Rupert Graves (Scudder) and Hugh Grant (Clive). If you've read the book (and I recommend that you do!) then you'll notice a few differences here and there. The story is basically the same, one of the best Merchant/Ivory productions! You'll see some familiar faces, even a cameo by Helena Bonham-Carter! Unfortunately, with the success of Hugh Grant and his recent films, video versions of "Maurice" give James Wilby second billing even though Wilby is the star. And he shines!
Rating:
Summary: AN EASY WAY OUT?
Review: Picture yourself, a young Englishman in the early teens of the twentieth century. You are handsome, sensuous, rich and will be the up and coming power broker in the years ahead. You are also "homosexual", that dreadful "condition" which if revealed could destroy your little kingdom. What do you do? Maurice explores the above question as we gaze upon two young men who are trying to come to terms with their homosexuality. Clive ( Hugh Grant) is the uptight aristocrat who knows he is gay but attempts to keep it under wraps. One must be practical, you know. Maurice (James Wilby) his lover is unashamed of the relationship and is celebratory of his love for Clive. The two men battle back and forth over what they can and can not do. Maurice goes through his own personal crisis of rejection, questioning and anger in accepting himself as well as trying to receive affirmation from Clive. This is an excellent video on the struggles that these two men have in homophobic England where discovery could mean the end of a career and disgrace. Underlying the emotional turmoil of the two men we find a class issue full of snobbery on both Maurice's part ( his initial encounter with Scudder, a servant), Clive's obsession to achieve and a contempt for women. Clive uses a woman for a cover while Maurice gets enraged over what as he sees as his sister's love for Clive. Enter into this remarkable love story filled with all of the tensions and heartaches of two men trying to come to terms with their sexuality.
Rating:
Summary: Best I've ever seen
Review: This is truely the best gay love story I've ever seen. True to life and very true to the original story by E.M. Forester. So very romantic...I've seen it over 100 times and never grow tired of seeing it. Maurice made me feel good about being gay. It brought hope for real romance in my life where I never before saw or even dreamed of. Set at a period in history that's extremely compelling. Maurice delves deep into the human soul and brings the reality to the surface for all to see.
Rating: 
Summary: Memorable Film about Identity Politics
Review: Scene after delicious scene of elegant Merchant-Ivory cinema, amply layered with English High Tea manners and Victorian prudishness "played up" to deliver both an amusing period fantasy and stinging social satire. A muted yet emotionally devastating "dance of desire" with a nervous, social-climbing Cambridge pal sets into motion a search for Maurice's own place in a world that is at every turn hostile to his "despicable" dream of having "one special friend." It is the stuff of tragedies. But wisely, Maurice does not yield to the call of the Oxbridge dons, the Christian moralizers, or the psychologist, that urges him to enjoin the conservative stereotype favored by the British industrial empire and his social class. Unlike his Cambridge camarade conformer, Maurice cannot forget the "lesson of the Greeks." Accompanying the "salvation" he finds in heady erotic pleasure with a servant(a dirty, albeit tasty gamekeeper played by Rupert Graves) Maurice is also offered a chance to experience true, albeit unconventional, friendship, and (yes,Victoria!) love. But will this mongrel love wilt, or grow? No conclusive ending, but its romantic overtones fly in the face of a world demanding sacrifice of one's personal desire to gain social respectability. Maurice and the gamekeeper emerge as victors aslong as they are in each other's arms--and to hell with the rest. A serious message which can inspire young gay viewers--as well as everyone else--to hold onto their visions. Based on a novel set in turn-of-the-century Cambridge(where by all accounts Forster, like his forlorn main character, likely anguished as a repressed gay academic), the film is also a delightful "period" piece, in the manner of "Room with a View,"Passage to India," etc. An excellent score enhances this special film.
Rating:
Summary: flawed but still excellent
Review: i felt i should add to what others have said about this movie that although this movie is indeed excellent it does have its flaws. for the most part the additions to the movie that were not present in the book are beneficial, but to try to put everything from the book into a two-hour long movie is impossible and consequently the first half seems rushed and too much like a montage. the second half, in contrast, is truly excellent and the acting is fantastic as well: ben kingsley is hilarious as the hypnotist and hugh grant is fine also, but the real kudos should go to the lesser-known james wilby and the attractive rupert graves.
Rating:
Summary: Truth across sexuality
Review: It would be impossible to attempt to protray to you what Maurice is. It's a novel, it's a movie- he's a man, a symbol. Maurice is the most thought-provoking work of art that i have ever had the pleasure to read. Anything that makes you think- makes you question your own self, soul, and relation to others is inherently good. And this film version of Maurice stays absolutely true to the book. Yes, scenes have been cut, yes scenes have been added (but the added scene i am recalling, near the end of the movie with Risley, makes the social persecution so vivid) but the spirit of Maurice remains the same. Watch this movie- i dare you not to be moved by its beauty- and it's sorrow. If you want a technical review, seek out the New York Times. I can tell you only that this movie is NOT about homosexuality. It is about the brutal indifference of our society to love. This film will soften the hardest of hearts.
| 
