MovieChat Forums > Howards End (1993) Discussion > A BORE of a Film!

A BORE of a Film!

posted 9 years ago by JaysonT
4 replies | jump to latest

Before I am judged, let me just say that I am a huge Emma Thompson fan. Her best screen performances have been The Remains of the Day, Much Ado About Nothing and Sense and Sensibility, not to mention her wonderful television work in HBO's Wit and Angels in America.

However, I just couldn't get into her performance or the movie here. For some reason, Howards End never picks up steam. I'm all for a good period piece, but this one didn't make an ounce of sense to me. It's VERY subtle, VERY talky and VERY overwhelming. And I really wanted to like it. Should I just try to re-watch it? I don't want to come off prudish. I am glad Emma Thompson won an Academy Award for acting, but this was not her best work. I think she was a refreshing new face to Americans back in 1992, but I wouldn't have given her the trophy for it. However, I do love Thompson as an actor, find her marvelous as a person, and think she's one of the wittiest artists of our time.

Why then, is this film not working for me? None of the performances, for that matter, are very alluring- save perhaps Vanessa Redgrave- but even here, I wasn't understanding the dynamics of the scene.

1992 was a weak year for female roles (which is ironic, since the Oscars deemed the theme of their ceremony "Year of the Woman", while failing to nominate crucial performances from women- like Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct and Geena Davis in A League of Their Own). While those performances may come off 'easy' to some, they stand the test of time today.

I am all for a Merchant-Ivory production, but this one feels flat and dull. It never kept my interest.

[–] grumpyoldguy1 8 years ago

"Why then, is this film not working for me?" "I just couldn't get into her performance or the movie here." Those two statements say more about you than the film. When a person, any person, finds a film boring, it's quite as likely they just don't care for the film, as it is that the film is lacking. And that's why I don't read critics' comments, ay least before seeing a film. If I avoided every film that someone out there didn't like, I would likely never have seen any films at all. So primarily I disagree with your thread title, as it is too subjective.

[–] JaysonT 8 years ago

I have the right to dislike a movie. You misunderstood my thread entirely. And you took it personally. Again, my answer has yet to be discussed.

[–] MissGruntled 7 years ago

No one is obliged to explain the film's virtues to you. I'll paraphrase the first reply and say -- you didn't like it, so move on.

[–] Creasy47 8 years ago

lmao, I love you man. When I clicked on the forum (usually like to check out IMDB forums for Criterions), I said to myself that there's gonna be that one standout topic that says how boring it is. Glad I was spot on! In all seriousness, I do enjoy reading the bad reviews, too. Helps a little bit with what I do or don't check out sometimes.