the remains of the day (james ivory)

very faithful adaptation of a wondrous book. i wasn't 100% convinced at the beginning, i thought it kind of lacked the magic, but i guess my expectations were just too high and i was wanting it to be like i had imagined. nonetheless, after 15 min or so, i came to my senses and just started enjoying the film. i loved it. i really did. really beautiful story, beautifully performed. hopkins manages to make his mr stevens seem even more cold and  annoying than his book counterpart. i still think they overdid mr stevens's dad's make up, it looked a bit too adams family, but that's just nitpicking.

Rating: 8.5/10

maurice (james ivory)

i admit my opinion is very biased as i'm a sucker for stories set in oxbridge colleges during the first half of the 20th century (yes, my kinks are very precise). i had loved the book when i read it in my late teens, but had never bothered with the film. not sure why. well, i finally watched it and it blew me away. again, such a beautiful story, and so beautifully filmed and performed. i felt in some ways incredibly identified with the main character, i could perfectly see aspects of me in my early 20s. i still can't understand why ivory is considered a 'lesser' filmmaker. the story is quite simply impeccably told. i love how the characters develop, all the tensions and passions and the struggle to keep appearances. this story (both book and film) will always stay with me.

Rating: 10/10