Review of Howards End (1992) by Chris B — 30 Jan 2014

First and foremost Howard's End is a finely-tuned drama film with wonderfully developed characters, all of which the actors do an excellent job at brining to life. If you can't handle "slow" films and couldn't care less about character development and dramatic weight, then this definitely isn't the film for you. If, however, you are interested you will find a wonderful and beautifully filmed drama which is both touching, moving, and most importantly, relatable. The actors involved all give spot-on performances that truly bring their respective characters to life. The cinematography is visually arresting and does a wonderful job at conveying the emotional impact of a particular scene with it's use of angles and close-ups. The luscious landscape and architecture of the estates and other homes are lovingly detailed and captured on film very nicely as well. Howard's End is smartly written, has well developed characters and beautifully shot. It happens to be arguably the best of the Ismail Merchant/James Ivory films based on the E.M. Forster novel written in 1910, showcasing the British class system and the division it causes.

In 1993, Howards End won three Oscar awards - Best Actress in a Leading Role (Emma Thompson), Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Ruth Prawer Jhabvala), and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (Luciana Arrighi and Ian Whittaker).