The L-Shaped Room (1962)

“I *know* I can’t afford it. I can’t afford *any* of the bloody decencies of life. I can’t afford to take you out, I can’t afford to buy you a proper Christmas present, I can’t afford even to be able to tell you not to worry.” – Toby

Number of Times Seen – 1 (23 Nov 2019)

Brief Synopsis – A single, pregnant young woman rents an apartment in London and has her life affected by the various people she meets along the way.

My Take on it – This is another film that I knew nothing about before coming across it during my recent quest to watch all films that have received Oscar nominations for its actors.

The story presented here deals with some themes that were very taboo at the time that this was made and they manage to find a way to deal with the subject very intelligently.

Leslie Caron is superb in the lead role and allows us to really understand the kinds of decisions that a women in her place must deal with.

Love the wya that we get to see how her own opinion keeps changing based on the various conversations she has with different people during the course of the film.

The film gives us a very interesting perspective on the idea of pregnancy out of wedlock and we get to see the various opinions on the subject matter that helps make this story feel even more plausible since each of the opinions is backed with reasons for these kind of opinions.

Caron was very deservingly nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress for her work here and she actually gives one of the best performances among the nominees.

Bottom Line – Very effective film that works especially given the fact that at the time that this was made, the theme was quite taboo. Caron is superb in the lead role and makes us really believe her situation and the various decisions that she must deal with along the way. The story’s viewpoint on birth out of wedlock and how such ideas are viewed by various people is done really well and helps make this film feel even more plausible. Caron was deservingly nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress for her work in this film. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – The film was green-lighted as result of a famous star, Leslie Caron, agreeing to play the lead (she was living in England at the time, following her marriage to Peter Hall). As a result, the lead character she played was changed into a Frenchwoman, having been English in the original novel. (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (8/10)