Howard's End (1992)reviewed by Benn "Where's the Humanity?" Farrell
"Howard's End," based on the novel by EM Forester--that should be the first clue at how boring this movie is, is about this lower class lady named Margaret, played by Oscar winner Emma Thompson (Angels in America), who marries this rich dude named Henry, played by Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins (Hannibal), and attempts to take possession of his family's most prized piece of real estate, Howard's End. However, Henry's family fights her tooth and nail for the estate. Wow. I almost put myself to sleep just typing the previous paragraph. I fell asleep at this movie three times; once in the cinemas, and twice when it was released to VHS and again, a few years later, when I gave it another try on DVD. The end result? Three strikes and it's out. It's a complete bore and SO English. Half the time, I didn't know what anyone was talking about in the story. I couldn't understand why Howard's End was SO important to Margaret's character. I couldn't understand Henry's motivation for doing anything. The picture is completely uninteresting under the end when there is finally an accidental death, but it wasn't enough to say this picture is worth watching. Why did it ever get nominated for Best Picture? Luckily, it didn't win. There were no memorable performances from anybody in this picture. That includes, Thompson. who won her acting Oscar for this picture, Hopkins and Helena Bonham Carter; however, it was fun to see Prunella Scales (BBC's Faulty Towers) in a movie, but it was only for a couple useless scenes. Overall, I think this is the worst movie made by producing/directing team Ishmael Merchant and James Ivory. Which is sad, since they followed with their best picture ever the following year, being "Remains of the Day." If you're having trouble sleeping, rent "Howard's End." Worthless, I tell you. If your wife ever suggests renting this movie, that would be the time to file for divorce. Benn - Where's the Humanity?
This is one of the most critically acclaimed pieces of s**t ever to be nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Picture.