James Wilby

Hugh Grant

Rupert Graves

Denholm Elliott

Simon Callow

Billie Whitelaw

Barry Foster

Judy Parfitt

Phoebe Nicholls

Patrick Godfrey

Mark Tandy

Ben Kingsley

Kitty Aldridge

Helena Michell

Catherine Rabett

Peter Eyre

Michael Jenn

Mark Payton

Orlando Wells

Maria Britneva

John Elmes

Alan Foss

Philip Fox

Olwen Griffiths

Christopher Hunter

Gerald McArthur

Breffni McKenna

Miles Richardson

Phillada Sewell

Helena Bonham Carter

Matthew Sim

Andrew St. Clair

Harriet Thorpe

Julian Wadham

Richard Warner

Alan Whybrow

Jean-Marc Barr

Serena Gordon

Ismail Merchant

Richard Robbins

James Ivory

Pierre Lhomme

Katherine Wenning

Kit Hesketh-Harvey

Brian Ackland-Snow

Mike Shoring

Jenny Beavan

Celestia Fox

John Bright

Paul Bradley

Kevin Fraser

Michael Zimbrich

Carol Hemming

Alan Killick

Kevan Barker

Amanda Ackland-Snow

Andrew Marcus

Anna Shepherd

Tim Dodd

Mary Hillman

Gerry Altman

Tony Lenny

Lee Cleary

Nicky Kentish Barnes

Arbell Lowther

Andrew Morris

Mark Potter Jr.

Peter James

Dennis Fruin

Natasha Grenfell

Raymond Day

Tony Woodcock

Jack Collins

Tom Freeman

Howard Lanning

Harry Rabinowitz

Sunil Kirparam

Joyce Turner

Paolo Mantini

Max Hoskins

John G. Phelan

Will Tyler

Nigel Willoughby

Simon Moseley

Lorely Farley

Jane Burton

Adrian Ffooks

Katya Grenfell

William Pierce

Harvey Kip

Ray Usher-Cooper

Mira Stout

John Gardey

Maggie Parsons

Chris Allies

E.M. Forster

Drama

Romance

Maurice

Merchant Ivory Productions

Film Four International

Cinecom Pictures

United Kingdom

United States of America

CinemaSerf

James Wilby is at his best here depicting the eponymous E.M. Forster character who takes rather a shine to his university colleague "Clive" (Hugh Grant). Of course not only is same sex fun illegal, it's looked upon very unfavourably by the Oxford set - even if most of them have had the odd dabble themselves. "Clive" is not really the commitment sort - he cares more for conforming and taking his well-heeled place in society, but "Maurice" seems more dyed-in-the-wool. His sexuality less fluid and his frustrations ever increasing. It's on a trip to see his friend and new wife "Anne" (Phoebe Nicholls) that he encounters their charming under-gamekeeper "Scudder" (Rupert Graves) and despite the differences in their social standing, at at some peril to his reputation, they embark on something that could just change both of their lives. Whilst the whole thing is set amongst the rarified environment of the English upper classes, it's still a potent reminder of life in a proscriptive society that though nothing of jail with hard labour for men caught with other men. There's a strong supporting cast, typical of these quality Marchant Ivory productions - Simon Callow, Billie Whitelaw and Judy Parfitt to name but three (I'm sure I saw Helena Bonham Carter in here too) and the look of the film - the settings, costumes and overall production design give it an authenticity and sheen. For me, the film belongs to Graves. His cheeky, well meaning and naive young character epitomising just what was wrong with the very fabric of a society that abhorred and punished his sexuality. With a swipe at the medical professional - and quackery in general - along the way, this whole thing is a classy and stylish assessment of a life that never, quite, feels real.

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English

Hugh Grant and James Wilby on Maurice, Merchant Ivory's gay love story | BFI Flare

Official US Trailer