一次偶然中,海伦(海伦娜·伯翰·卡特 Helena Bonham Carter 饰)和玛格丽特(艾玛·汤普森 Emma Thompson 饰)两姐妹结识了威尔克斯一家人。在威尔克斯家所拥有的霍华德庄园中,玛格丽特和威尔克斯太太(瓦妮莎·雷德格瑞夫 Vanessa Red grave 饰)的感情最为要好,海伦却在和保罗(Joseph Bennett 饰)的一段短暂恋情结束后离开了威尔克斯家。
威尔克斯太太死前将整个霍华德庄园留给了玛格丽特,亨利(安东尼·霍普金斯 Anthony Hopkins 饰)隐瞒了这一事实,转而向玛格丽特求婚。离开了霍华德庄园的海伦遇见了名叫巴斯特(Samuel West 饰)的男子,两人相处融洽。玛格丽特再度见到海伦之时,她震惊的发现,尚未成家的海伦已有身孕,这样的海伦遭到了威尔克斯家大儿子查尔斯(詹姆斯·维尔拜 James ...
一直作為米路斯.科曼劇本鐵三角(另一位是帕培錫,也是本片編劇之一)成員的艾雲.巴薩,當然也走低度戲劇路線。同是音樂家的彼德與卡洛老友重逢,生活狀況大不同,你有伴侶我有家庭,然而都有說不出的不明朗,唯有以酒與音樂代替口水。全片推展不問目的,只在剎那間的意圖,行行企企比起科曼更義無反顧,卻有生活淡如流水的詩意和繆思,叫觀眾聯想到二十年後的伊力.盧馬。巴薩鍾愛音樂的程度不下於文字和電影,古典音樂與民間音樂於全片迴轉迴盪,難怪成了奇斯洛夫斯基十大心愛電影之一。 康城影展青年評審團獎,美國全國影評人協會特別獎 這部1966年的珍品,是捷克新浪潮短暫生命中最佳作品之一。成名音樂家到小鎮探訪舊同學,舊同學是個窮音樂教師,有時在喪禮上吹奏樂曲。平凡的素材在巴素手裡,變出風趣復罕見的旋律,一部憂鬱的喜劇,或灰色喜劇。 - Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader Ivan Passer's (Cutter's Way and Creator) last film to be made in his native Czechoslovakia is about friends – musician Petr and music teacher Karel – reunited when Petr returns to town for a performance. Passer frequently collaborated with Milos Forman and the episodic, low-action aesthetic that was evident in Forman's early work can be seen here. Years of separation have bred apprehension between the two men, and Karel's simmering jealousy makes their meeting all the more awkward. Eventually, the barriers crumble enough for the pair to freely discuss their lives. The film's simple beauty is in the details of the men's reacquainting themselves with each other, discovering each other's regrets and unfulfilled desires. Alive with pathos, humour and insight. Special Award, National Society of Film Critics Awards Its simple city mouse-country mouse story involves the meeting of two former schoolmates as they prepare for a small-town concert. Enlivened by Passer's flair for grotesquerie, this unassuming masterpiece maintains a delicate balance between hilarity and despair. - Elliott Stein, Village Voice Source HKIFF Czech New Wave 2006