The L-Shaped Room (1962)

Director: Bryan Forbes
Based on the novel by Lynne Reid Banks
Starring: Leslie Caron, Tom Bell, Brock Peters, Patricia Phoenix, Avis Bunnage

A young French woman takes a room in a gritty, dark and dusty London boarding house, bringing her past with her as a secret. Among the odd people she befriends in the house is Toby who she eventually falls in love with while painfully hiding her secret. A potpourri of fine ensemble acting, with the two leads exceptional in their convincing portrayals. Bittersweet and poetic - an excellent example of British cinema realism of the late 50s/early 60s.

IMBD entry: http://akas.imdb.com/title/tt0057239/...