It's easy to picture Simon Callow’s excitement upon learning he would not only be wearing religious attire, but also cavorting around a lake unclothed with Julian Sands and Rupert Graves—a scene that has since become legendary for countless gay filmmakers. While the rest of the film doesn't quite reach those heights, it remains a pleasant and well-developed portrayal of leisurely upper-class individuals enjoying themselves in early 20th century Florence. There’s some complaining about the accommodations of “Charlotte” (Maggie Smith) and her cousin “Lucy” (Helena Bonham Carter), stemming from their lack of a view of the Arno River. Fortunately, the amiable “Mr. Emerson” (Denholm Elliott), accompanied by his son "George" (Sands), is willing to exchange rooms. This chance encounter sets in motion a series of events where luck seems to play a significant role, leading us back to rural England where “Lucy” resides with her mother (Rosemary Leach) and is set to marry the pretentious “Vyse” (Daniel Day-Lewis). Her brother "Freddy" (Graves) isn’t thrilled about this union and eagerly teases his future brother-in-law with mocking piano tunes. When he learns that new residents are moving into a nearby cottage—and they happen to be the “Emerson” pair—it becomes apparent that he's not alone in doubting whether the wedding will actually take place. With Mr. Callow contributing as the vicar "Beebe" and Judi Dench appearing briefly as the scandalous author “Eleanor Lavish” (sometimes pronounced "Laveesh"), the stage is prepared for a romantic comedy that satirizes the stuffiness of English society as the 1900s unfold. Bonham-Carter, Sands, and the wonderfully aggravating Day-Lewis all deliver strong performances, as does Smith, who consistently excels in these proper roles. As one would anticipate from Merchant and Ivory, the film is visually rich and elegant—both against the backdrop of the sunny Italian city and within the quiet countryside (and its hypocrisies). The adaptation of Forster’s work contains a good deal of humor, and even forty years later, it remains an enjoyable two-hour watch.

Source on TMDB