Sound familiar? British's greatest romance Brief Encounter narrated a story of a brief relationship in a brief time. I was in this film! Enjoyed your reviews on “Brief Encounter.” I have to admit I have not seen either version. Adapted from Coward’s one-act play Still Life, Brief Encounter employs a structural gambit that will look mighty familiar to anyone who saw Todd Haynes’ Carol, which lifts it wholesale. There's nothing big about this movie. I’m reading _English Heritage, English Cinema_, a really intelligent look at costume drama focusing on the 80s and 90s. "I know you disapprove. I came across this film by accident one night. 8 out of 10. | Although both are married and Frank has two little kids, they meet more and more often, their friendship becoming the most precious thing in … She constructs something memorable out something quite ordinary. Falling in Love can be described as an urban American Brief Encounter. Streep's presence is natural, her attraction towards de Niro very gradual and in the end completely possessing. You will want to watch this movie over and over again. I was slightly surprised when I heard there had been a Brief Encounter remake, because the 1940s original (which I reviewed here recently) is such a masterpiece. Another is that the heroine, Anna, makes her weekly visit to town not just to shop, but to work at a Citizens’ Advice Bureau there. I recommend this movie for the romantic at heart and like to enjoy great chemistry from actors. For now, after having read Mr. Maltin's brief critique of this film ("dull script"), I must say that I couldn't disagree more. For Richard Burton, brought in as male lead at the last minute after Robert Shaw pulled out, it’s the opposite problem. The 70s are part of the purview though — and landscape and milieu count. Streep is a feast to the eyes and ears. Falling in Love can be described as an urban American Brief Encounter. Mostly people reserve comments of "Intense" to action movies but. External Reviews (The 1990s movie Falling in Love, which I’ve also seen recently and like very much, isn’t really a remake, but a new film loosely inspired by the story.) But to BOTH be married and doing something like this is just plain wrong. Yes, there are probably more dramatic and exciting movies out there, but the gentleness and poignancy of this film made it a subtle rarity in the flashy 80's. Thanks, Ellen. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Apart from the lead acting/actors the music of Gruzin was fine. The on-screen chemistry between them were so natural. Thing of it is, they're not married to each other. There is a 1984 movie called “Falling in Love” with Robert DeNiro and Meryl Streep that either pays homage or rips off “Brief Encounter”, depending on your outlook. De Niro and Streep make it watchable, but how much better would it have been if they had actual characters to portray? The nuances, the manner in which they fall in love is so completely real, they literally make one want to fall in love again! So, enough said. What little I got to see was enchanting. And our school was given a cassette recorder as a reward! I like how the story flows. If u think u'd never accept a relationship between married couple, think again! "Falling" is a hard film to watch because its central situation is so hard to endure. Hi Neve, It’s a while since I saw this but I did like it more than I expected to, though I certainly agree that Loren’s casting was rather odd. It's one of those movies that makes you forget these are two big stars. Meryl for the first time waiting for him in the train, looking out of the window to catch a glimpse. Can two happily married, reasonable upper middle class people be led by a chance encounter to abandon their goodhearted spouses and tear apart two children's home? I Must Disagree with Leonard Maltin....This is a Nice Little Gem, A true little gem for those of us who aren't afraid of a simple story well told, a simple movie made special by two fantastic actors. It has a couple of best actors. There is only one thing more pleasurable than seeing a movie starring Meryl Streep or Robert De Niro, and that is to witness the magic which occurs when these two super stars perform together. Metacritic Reviews. This is a lovely example of how such remarkable acting can bring the simplest of stories so alive. Music Composed and Conducted by Dave Grusin. In particular the first 45 minutes when their lives are starting to connect but before the actual connection. Falling in Love is a 1984 American romantic-drama film starring 'Meryl Streep' and 'Robert De Niro' and directed by Ulu Grosbard.※ Music by Dave Grusin If only some great character actor could have been added to the mix -- Thelma Ritter, Rosie O'Donnell, Peggy Cass, anybody -- Just give us someone to alleviate the tedium. Here she meets a working-class wife and mother, Mrs Gaines (Rosemary Leach, giving possibly the best performance of the movie), who is being ill-treated by her husband, and tries to help her. In a very long time, I haven't seen a good movie about a love story without being against the background of modern complexities or any special times that help add spices to it, yet leaving an impact that cannot be ignored. :) I had meant to write about that one too, but my memories are starting to fade so I’d need to watch it again, I think…. Both are brilliant. I love how they didn't play the sex card in this movie. My favorite part? At heart, ''Falling in Love,'' which opens today at the Tower East and other theaters, is an American ''Brief Encounter'' that goes on too long. Although "Falling in Love" bears more than a passing resemblance to "Brief Encounter," Cristofer has claimed that his mumbling, inarticulate screenplay replicates a romantic experience of his own. De Niro falls into place but it's hard to divorce him from his well established film persona. As it stands, they play two boring people who meet and leave their loving spouses presumably because they are bored and/or boring and end up with each other so that they make one boring couple by the end of this boring movie. One is that the story unfolds straight through, rather than beginning at the end – I suppose because by this time everyone already knows what that ending is. It is a dreary exercise in having nothing to say. The Burton-Loren TV movie was only released here in the States on VHS tape years ago and is long out of print. That process inexorably leads to them falling in love and dealing with the many hurdles of going forward together. During shopping for Christmas, Frank and Molly run into each other. De Niro and Streep have outdone themselves in this movie conveying such deep feelings in such a simple context: a story that probably happens everyday, but in this movie they make you feel it, making you aware of its complexity despite its lack of any extraordinary circumstances. I love both the actors and they did very well in portraying their characters, but the movie itself was a little bit upsetting. There’s too much intensity. It does seem strange that such a famous film was remade. Watching both DeNiro's and Streep's expressions alone, in long moments of no dialog, are worth the price of the rental, or the time to watch it on cable. Commuting to Manhattan on the same train, two married strangers (Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep) meet by accident and have an affair. Both tied to routine. The shock of seeing tough guy De Niro as suburban dad Frank, falling in love with suburban mum Meryl Streep after a chance encounter, was insurmountable for some film … Instead of the stark black and white of the original, this 1970s version is in the most vivid colour imaginable, with everyone wearing reds and purples and shirts in intricate patterns. Falling in Love. In this version, which takes place in New York City around Christmas time we have DeNiro and Streep who are married however, not to each other, and meet continually on a train forming a romantic relationship and just like in “Brief Encounter” the affair is never consummated. Thank you for the comment. The film received mixed reviews and was a box office bomb. I had to watch a 30 year old movie to see majestic acting. As in the original, emotional music helps to build the intense mood, although here it isn’t Rachmaninov but a new score by Cyril Ornadel. Can't believe all the positive comments about this movie. Movie Info. I suppose many would find a lot of romantic appeal in such a story, but this is not the ideal date movie for an established couple in an emotionally prosperous relationship. Through this story, the film also questions whether a married couple staying together is always the best outcome. The only similarities are the trains and the unconsummated affair between two people married to others. A more modern take on Brief Encounter, this film sings because of the chemistry between its leads and it quickly became clear to me that it'd be a film I'd revisit. Those intense, love at first sight feelings are not always a desire for love and commitment. If you believe this is wrong, I totally agree with you but DeNiro and Streep will force you in this movie to re-think the whole thing only if the story is like theirs. Opinions will vary of the songs themselves, which have been widely compared, both in … The answer is yes in this "romance" featuring exquisitely subtle performances by Meryl Streep (at her creamiest) and a young Robert DeNiro. Both with the responsibilities of parenthood. True, the film is an "hommage" to David Lean's "Brief Encounter" and I don't think anybody can deny that. I love this movie. It's about two attractive Westchester commuters, each happily married to someone else, who meet, fall in love and then don't know what to do about it. Richard Burton and Sophia Loren in the station cafe. | The hazy and tired sun is setting slowly below the houses who are lounging across the horizon, giving only the light momentarily to those surrounding, like burning embers flickering in the dim light. But, for all that, I think it is an interesting, if flawed, movie, in its own right, and deserves better than to be dismissed out of hand. Nothing. There was absolutely no "joy" or "romantic bliss" in that relationship and I'm very glad now that I'm no longer in it. I really like the story and relationship development. It's small and subtle. Saw this movie for the first time, about 18 years ago. I don't believe for one single moment you can find love by taking the train - I have been travelling daily for years on public transport and have never encountered anything remotely resembling what happens in the film - but films ARE made to make us dream and this film certainly does. Is this Travis? One of my favorite movies of all time. of Noel Coward’s 1946 movie is a pale shadow in Entrapment, dir. This is really a modern-day re-telling of the 1940's Brit classic 'Brief Encounter', and it is beautifully done. I fell into their Brief Encounter situation head on and enjoyed it thoroughly. Nice to watch if you're really secure about your relationship, "Falling In Love" Overlooked in De Niro/Streep Credits. 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