The L-Shaped Room
Jane is young, French, pregnant and unmarried. Bucking convention, she is uninterested in settling with her baby's father or getting an abortion. After renting a room in a dingy London boarding house, Jane befriends the odd group of inhabitants and starts an affair with one boarder, Toby. As Jane's pregnancy threatens her new relationship, and the reality of single motherhood approaches, she is forced to decide what to do about both her baby and her budding romance.
Director(s)
Bryan Forbes
Helen Whitson
Penny Daniels
John Quested
Gerald O'Hara
Cast & Crew
Details
Reviews
CinemaSerf
Leslie Caron is really good in this rather quirky tale of a French lass who, pregnant, takes up residence in a pretty grotty London boarding house. Initially wary of the other "guests", "Jane" befriends aspiring writer"Toby" (Tom Bell) and the film depicts her lively relationship with him and her assimilation into this curious group of individuals whom she gradually begins to get used to. There are two things that help this stand out. The photography - it is intimate and very effective; and the use of the Brahms Piano Concerto which is as effective as any of the, frequently potent, dialogue. Caron is in her element here, her performance is confident and engaging. Tom Bell contributes strongly, as do Avis Bunnage and Patricia Phoenix, and there is something quite uplifting about Bryan Forbes' take on this outwardly rather depressing tale of solitude and abandonment. It sags just a bit in the middle with perhaps a more judicious pruning of the character establishment in order at the start, but it does hold the attention well for two hours and deals with adult topics in a remarkably - for the time - frank and plausible fashion.
Media engagement
The L-Shaped Room FAQs
The directors of The L-Shaped Room are Bryan Forbes, Helen Whitson, Penny Daniels, John Quested, and Gerald O'Hara.
The cast of The L-Shaped Room includes Bernard Lee as Charlie, Gerry Duggan as Bert, Anthony Booth as Youth in Street, Pamela Sholto as Nurse, Cicely Courtneidge as Mavis, Diane Clare as Nurse, Gerald Sim as Doctor in Hospital, Avis Bunnage as Doris, Emlyn Williams as Dr. Weaver, Mark Eden as Terry, Nanette Newman as Girl at End, Brock Peters as Johnny, and more.
The duration of The L-Shaped Room is 2h 6 mins.
The L-Shaped Room was released on 20 Nov 1962.
The L-Shaped Room is listed under Drama and Romance on Fanbiz.
The L-Shaped Room has 1 review on Fanziz, with an average rating of 7.0/10. One reviewer wrote: "Leslie Caron is really good in this rather quirky tale of a French lass who, pregnant, takes up residence in a pretty grotty London boarding house. Initially wary of the other "..."
