Brief Encounter (1945) Review

Juror #3 says: In previous reviews I've mentioned my deep admiration for David Lean's work.  You can't argue with the man who directed Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge Over the River Kwai, Doctor Zhivago and A Passage to India, to name a few.  "Brief Encounter" came before each of those classics and, in my opinion, can stand up to any of them.  The thing with David Lean is that he places the camera in a perfect spot and lets the performances work around it.  In Brief Encounter there is as much subtle skill in his directing as there is in the acting.  In particular, Celia Johnson, who acts with her eyes - the best compliment I can think to give.  I can't think of a bad thing to say about this movie.  I loved the plot, the characters, the cinematography, the directing, the acting, and the musical choices were exquisite.  The combination created a visceral experience for me.  I understood her droned life and the painful interruption this affair provided.  It was as much about building a box around your life as it was about love.  And in the end she would be forced back into the box, but this time as a changed woman.  I rate this 5/5 stars on Netflix


girl by locker says: I find I often start these reviews by saying, "I wanted to love this movie." I wanted to love this one as well, but in the end I just liked it. Here is what I liked:

1. I loved the idea of the movie in the sense that a chance meeting can completely change the course of our lives. At any moment, when we least expect it, our path starts to veer in another direction. I find that realistic about life. In that same vein, I liked how ordinary Alec and Laura come across. They're attractive but not too attractive, they're wealthy but not too wealthy, they are witty but not too witty. In short, they could be any of us. 

2. I liked that every Thursday Laura spent the day by herself. Whether or not this is accurate, it struck me as a luxury for women at that time.

3. I enjoyed the opening sequence as the camera pans across the train station cafe and in the background we see a couple, obviously sad, savoring their last moments together. 

4. Related to #3, when Alec and Laura part for the final time, I found his touch of her shoulder incredibly romantic. That brief touch said more to me than any passionate sex scene in a modern movie.    

5. The scene in which Alec invites Laura to his friend's apartment was spectacular. Should she go? Should she not go? Would she? Won't she? I was shocked that they took it as far as they did. I've said it before, but I remember not that long ago in Cinema Cram when they couldn't even show a woman's ankles much less allude to a sexual encounter between two married people who were not with their spouses.

What I didn't like:

1. There is really just one big issue that makes me rate this movie a 3/5 on my Netflix queue. Though I loved the idea that a chance meeting can change the course of our lives, I never really saw that between Alex & Laura. Though ultimately I got completely caught up in their affair and the obvious emotions between them, I only started to feel it toward the second half of the movie post apartment scene. Before then, I wasn't caught up in the drama and the romance of their Thursday meetings. I never saw the spark of them falling in love, and that lack of connection to the characters makes me say I only liked it and give it a 3.