The film features strong performances from its stars and great performances from a suppporting cast which includes Maggie Smith and Dame Judi Densch, now known by many for her portrayal of M in the last few James Bond films. Also providing strong support to this romantic film is the scenery. The views of Florence in the film are absolutely stunning and the film takes the viewer right into the central Piazzas of Florence, as well as showing the beauty of the European countryside and the lushness of the British landscape.

The film does seem to move somewhat slow in parts, but draws great dialogue from the E.M Forster novel is carried by its strong performances. While Helena Bonham Carter puts in a very good performance as Lucy, even more entertaining for film buffs is a comparision in both appearance and character between Lucy and her character from Fight Club. Finally the music, beginning with an extremely beautiful and famous aria adds a nice touch to the film and sounds absolutely incredible in Dolby Digital 5.1.

As stated above, the end result is a film which feels somewhat slow moving but which ultimately tells an enjoyable, romantic story in the Merchant Ivory/ E.M. Forester tradition. The Picture
The film starts out with a grainy, shaky CBS Fox home video logo, instantly raising fears that the film was simply transferred, lock, stock and barrel from the VHS version. Thankfully, this is not the case, and the presentation of the film, in Widescreen 1.85:1 aspect ratio projection is clear and enjoyable. The shots of Florence look especially impressive and the colors of the gardens and countryside appear to be quite true to life. The picture is at its crispest during the interlude scenes, but is constantly good throughout.
The Sound
The film's sound is presented in 5.1 Dolby Digital and the sound comes through quite well. As stated above, the music at the beginning of the film comes through beautifully in 5.1 sound and the rest of the film is well presented as well. The dialogue and music throughout the film are clear and enjoyable, and the levels of volume are sufficiently constant that they do not require adjustment
Bonus Materials
Sadly, the film is without any bonus materials, and not even a trailer or cast bios are included. This is the most disappointing element of this DVD.

Final Thoughts
A Room with A View is a well-made, well-acted romantic film, but it is not for everyone. Those who are fans of this film really love it, but for others, it may appear too slow and without enough actually taking place around which to build the story. Viewers without exposure to any other Merchant Ivory films might wish to merely rent this, however, if one has enjoyed other such films, one will definitely enjoy this one.