Howards End (1992) *****

An exquisite, masterfully crafted adaptation of E.M.Forster's novel about hypocrisy and snobbery of the upper class Victorian society. Amusing and deliciously ironic at first, the film becomes increasingly serious, even tragic, as it explores the delicate situations and arrangements that lead some otherwise generous people to compromise their values. A superb comedy of manners, as well as a profound human drama, it's a triumph of intelligent storytelling. James Ivory's masterpiece.