Odd, life-like characters--rich, textured script

Bittersweet story of hellos and goodbyes...

4 St Luke's Road, Notting Hill, London, England, UK

Alan Bates and Hayley Mills in Whistle Down the Wind (1961)

Laurence Harvey and Simone Signoret in Room at the Top (1958)

Anne Bancroft in The Pumpkin Eater (1964)

Richard Attenborough and Kim Stanley in Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964)

Oh, you English are so funny about smells. You hate garlic, you're frightened of perfume unless it's very cheap and very nasty, but you *love* the smell of fish and chips. First time I went out for a walk with an Englishman, he took us two miles out of our way so I could smell a fish and chips shop.

Oh, well, you see it's a very powerful aphrodisiac for an Englishman. Before the war, most children were conceived on Friday nights.

Julie Christie and Leslie Caron in The L-Shaped Room (1962)

Leslie Caron and Tom Bell in The L-Shaped Room (1962)

Leslie Caron

Anthony Booth

Avis Bunnage

Lynne Reid Banks

Bryan Forbes

A single, pregnant woman moves into a London boarding house where she meets a group of fellow misfits.

The L-Shaped Room

Top Drawer British Realism

One of the best of the so-called &quot;kitchen-sink&quot; films, THE L-SHAPED ROOM is nearly perfect. The set decoration probably deserved an award for the way it evokes, with poetry, the incredibly realistic environment of a down-and-out London rooming house. As many commentators have noted, this film avoids clichés and gives us real-seeming characters played by gifted actors. There is not a single weak link in the cast, with Tom Bell, Avis Bunnage, Brock Peters, Cicely Courtneige among others providing so many memorable moments. At the heart of the film is Leslie Caron in an award-nominated performance that is not likely to be forgotten by anyone who sees it. This is a performance that elicits true feeling, done with a kind of invisible artistry, so it seems completely real. Bryan Forbes, one of Britain&apos;s finest directors of the period, paces the film well, relying on Caron and others to fill what may have been longueurs with true meaning. The only criticism is the use of the Brahms First Piano Concerto in the soundtrack. The surging romanticism, while appealing in itself, doesn&apos;t fit very well with the mood of the film, apart from a couple of quiet scenes. It&apos;s certainly not a big problem, only it seems an odd musical choice. A deeply affecting, unforgettable film.

Official Trailer

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BN2E2NDhmNTgtNDMwNy00MDQwLWI5OTEtZmQzZTA0ODQ4ODk3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXRyYW5zY29kZS13b3JrZmxvdw@@._V1_.jpg

One of the best of the so-called "kitchen-sink" films, THE L-SHAPED ROOM is nearly perfect. The set decoration probably deserved an award for the way it evokes, with poetry, the incredibly realistic environment of a down-and-out London rooming house. As many commentators have noted, this film avoids clichés and gives us real-seeming characters played by gifted actors. There is not a single weak link in the cast, with Tom Bell, Avis Bunnage, Brock Peters, Cicely Courtneige among others providing so many memorable moments. At the heart of the film is Leslie Caron in an award-nominated performance that is not likely to be forgotten by anyone who sees it. This is a performance that elicits true feeling, done with a kind of invisible artistry, so it seems completely real. Bryan Forbes, one of Britain's finest directors of the period, paces the film well, relying on Caron and others to fill what may have been longueurs with true meaning. The only criticism is the use of the Brahms First Piano Concerto in the soundtrack. The surging romanticism, while appealing in itself, doesn't fit very well with the mood of the film, apart from a couple of quiet scenes. It's certainly not a big problem, only it seems an odd musical choice. A deeply affecting, unforgettable film.

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The L-Shaped Room

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