This feels like it could be the high point of Merchant Ivory’s adaptations of E.M. Forster’s work, featuring a talented group of actors who depict Edwardian England as a society where traditional hierarchies are starting to falter. "Wilcox" (Anthony Hopkins) is essentially new money—a wealthy industrialist who has bought up several large estates from an aristocracy that's losing its grip on wealth. After his first wi…

While not reaching the heights of Remains of the Day, this film doesn’t necessarily need to; E.M. Forster isn't Kazuo Ishiguro, after all. Still, Forster provides a sprawling, intricate narrative that manages to keep viewers engaged throughout its considerable length of 142 minutes. The collaboration between Ivory and Merchant results in a gorgeous sequence, notable for its flawless cinematography, carefully chose…