Monteriano - Dove gli angeli non osano metter piede

Where Angels Fear To Tread, a fine novel in its own right, is transferred to the big screen with wit and a painter's eye by the masterful Charles Sturridge. Against a backdrop rich in Edwardian England's own brand of stuffy propriety, we watch cultures and mores clash, with poignant, and occasionally hilarious results. Judy Davis delivers one of my top ten moments on film, a snit of epic self-righteousness, in a memorable scene at the opera. The beauty of the film lies in its fluid and compassionate depiction of the wrongheadedness and confusion which ensue when foreign travelers pack their own narrow values next to the toothpaste, granting themselves permission to brandish them in the face of every long-suffering local along the way. Luckily for us, the film is populated by a believable group of finely drawn characters, played by actors who simply could not be better cast.

I was almost more impressed by Charles Storridge's treatment of E,M,Forster than by James Ivory's, since everything is perfect in this film: the acting, the story, the drama, the photography, perhaps most outstanding of all, and the composition of the film building up to an inevitable dramatic climax, turning the enchantingly idyllic scenery into relentless disaster and tragedy. It's acrtually all about a child, while the crook here is a lady, who can't control herself. It's true, the Italian husband also runs out of control sometimes, while Rupert Graves is a consistent paragon of diplomacy. Helena Bonham Carter is the one of them who actually succeeds in understanding the Italians, while all the others are hopelessly at a loss in getting entangled in inexricable complications of the Italian mentality. Helen Mirren is the rich English lady of a mature age who gets hopelessly mixed up with a young Italian man, which triggers the drama, as her family gets more and more upset about it and acts more and more awkwardly to do something about it. It is in fact a shocker, but invaluable for charting cultural clashes between the English and the Italian way, and although you can understand Helen Mirren's initiative and accept her risk, one has to agree with the others whether it actually was so very wise. I haven't read Forster's novel, but it ought to be one of his most interesting ones.

Charles Sturridge's adaption of E.M. Forster's classic novel is well in line with such other greats as "Howards End", "A Room With a View", and "A Passage To India". As with all of Forster's work, "Where Angels Fear to Tread" treats the topic of Edwardian British society with poignancy and humour.

Cultures clash when Philip Herriton is forced by his mother to retrieve the only child of his dead sister-in-law, Lilia, from its Italian father. The baby represents both the English and Italian way of life, and the ensuing struggle over it is an analysis of just how futile our own nativist prejudices can be.

Such a sensitive topic is dealt with by a charming cast. Rupert Graves is perfect as a man transformed by his horrific experiences; Helen Mirren is both laughable and lamentable as the tragically flighty Lilia; Helena Bonham-Carter is the soul of goodness, and Judy Davis (a Forster veteran from "A Passage to India") provides comic relief as stuffy Harriet. These fine performances are matched with a beautiful score by Rachel Portman and even more beautiful Italian vistas courtesy of Mr. Sturridge.

Stimulating and provocative, I highly recommend this film to those interested in either Forsters' work or the imperialistic inclinations of the British circa 1900.

The story is so tragic that this should be a hard-core drama, and parts of it are very poignant, but I also laughed hysterically. This is mainly due to Judy Davis' performance which is so priggish and delightful. Graves and Bonham-Carter played brother and sister in 'A Room With A View' and their chemistry carries over into this film quite well. The music is enchanting. All the way around, a great film.

Where Angels Fear to Tread in addition to its alluring title also boasts a solid cast of Helen Mirren, Rupert Graves, Helena Bonham Carter and Judy Davis. Throw in the beautiful Italian landscape and scenery and you're well on your way. There is one major obstacle preventing this film from reaching its full potential, and unlike others who suggest it was the direction, I say the major problem rests squarely on the script. There are too many random elements thrown into the mix, that have very little to no context or explanation. There are too many to go into now but characters show up at random places and times, and behave seemingly for the convenience of creating drama, but after a while the viewer really does need a bit more information and character development. The Judy Davis character is completely lacking in any sympathetic traits completely to the point that I wanted nothing more than to see her run over by a train Rupert Graves is so thoroughly passive and ineffectual as to become highly unlikeable, despite his charm. Despite these serious shortcomings I have to say I was still completely engaged as to how things were going to ultimately conclude. When it ended even more horrifically that I had imagined I found myself to be quite upset. So, even though Where Angels Fear to Tread has some major problems I still think its a film worth checking out.