Merchant-Ivory: the name has become shorthand for a certain flavour of genteel British drama, all period costume and romantic disillusionment. Behind the scenes, however, the truth behind the partnership was far more subversive, chaotic and shambolic than their respectable filmography may suggest.  

This wildly entertaining documentary charts the romantic and working relationship of the American director James Ivory and the late Indian film producer Ismail Merchant. Together, along with the writer Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, these men created such film classics as The Remains of the Day, Maurice, and A Room with a View. All of these are discussed and the talking head line-up features many Merchant-Ivory collaborators, with the likes of Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant and Helena Bonham Carter providing specific value for money, while the nonagenarian Ivory himself remains a sly, humorous presence.  

Ivory’s candour, along with Soucy’s willingness to challenge his interviewees, helps make this documentary as delightful and funny as the two men themselves. A treat for fans of British cinema.