2. FANTASIA (1940)

American romance movies are not complete without the obligatory sex scene; heck, American trash bag commercials aren't complete without the obligatory sex scene. So with all the rush to jump in the sack, it's often a real treat to return to Victorian standards and secrets to discover that it is tension, not flesh, that lies at the heart of every truly enjoyable love story. With Merchant and Ivory, you're guaranteed oodles of tension to make up for all those covered limbs, and Howard's End is no exception.

Howard's End is a beautiful blend of passion and restraint, emanating from the central motif of a family home (aptly called Howard's End) and its thematic representation of family unity and harmony. And most of the credit goes to a ridiculous parade of leading English actresses, including Emma Thompson, Vanessa Redgrave, and Helena Bonham Carter.

Accompanying the elegant portraits of these characters is a vibrant backdrop that includes gorgeous views of North Wales, which is mercifully devoid of today's coal mines and smoke stacks, and other country homes. Of course, the comeuppance twist at the end is a particularly satisfying plot twist in a genre of book and film that so often leaves the audience frustrated at the inequities of an age where the abiding theme was grin and bear it for England, my dear.

This movie deservedly cleaned up at Oscar time with nominations galore and a fitting win for Emma Thompson as best actress. This movie is an artistic triumph independent of the novel whence it springs, notwithstanding Forster's great work. We fully recommend it in any preparation for a visit to the Old World.

Notes:

  • Nominated for 9 Academy Awards (including Best Picture)

  • Won 3 Academy Awards: Best Actress (Thompson), Art Direction, and Screenplay

  • Nominated for 11 BAFTA awards, winning two: Best Film and Actress