Jack Hawkins (Hawkensian) It may be 72 years old, but Brief Encounter's tale of heady, all-consuming romance is timeless. In fact, the film's character driven narrative is bolstered by its quaint, wholesome and passionately sentimental charm.Celia Johnson (Laura) and Trevor Howard (Alec) deliver performances that are just as sensitive and articulate as Noel Coward's poignant, eloquent script. Johnson is particularly impressive in the way she tactfully skirts the overwrought potential of her character with a performance that is nuanced as it is endearing. The stellar leads are also supported by several interesting characters, especially Myrtle the sassy cafe manager and Albert the cheeky station conductor.Perhaps the only criticism of Coward's pithy script is that it doesn't sufficiently develop Laura's relationship with Fred, her seemingly mild-mannered and understanding husband. More detail of her staid, suburban existence may have given her romantic dilemma even greater resonance.Minor gripes aside, this proverbial classic is likely to cause a lump in the throat of anyone who has experienced the difficult, overwhelming feelings of Laura and Dr. Alec.

frankwiener First of all, I love Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto Number 2 and the sight of express trains rolling through empty stations in 1945, so what could possibly go wrong here? Unfortunately, at some point during this viewing, I realized that my interest in the relationship of the two lead characters, played by Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard, two very capable actors, could not be sustained for very long. Caution, dear reader, because I am not much of a love story fan, but at least this one featured Rachmaninoff's beautiful music throughout and those speeding express trains.Just when the action was becoming rather dull, enter Joyce Carey and Stanley Holloway as two very amusing train station employees. Do you remember Stanley as Alfred P. Doolittle, Eliza's colorful father, in "My Fair Lady", who knocked our socks off during his unforgettable "Get Me to the Church on Time"? I've got to see more movies with this guy!The best part was that whenever I stream "tcm on demand", I can skip the likes of Alec Baldwin and that bearded wonder, Grandpa Dave Letterman, pontificating so self importantly about classic motion pictures, a subject in which they both somehow believe they have expertise. Really now.

Irishchatter It's not a surprise that the stupid catholic church here in Ireland back then made this film banned because of "promoting adultery". Seriously, they thought it's all about everyone involved when it wasn't, I'm sure lots of people who had unhappy marriages, couldn't get a divorce because them clowns would be telling them how to live their lives. Anyways what's unfortunately happened, has happened!Let's get talking about this movie, it's such a very sad tale that Laura and the Doctor had to face in society where cheating was a shame to anyone finding out. I'm sure they would be afraid that their kids will be taken from them if their partner's ever found out. I honestly thought at the end, I was going to see them run away together but unfortunately, they had to call it quits when he had to go to South Africa for his new doctor job. It's just heartbreaking like you honestly would shed a few tears to see that both of them have drifted apart.Very good movie but again, it's heartbreaking 💔

richard-1787 Yes, this is actually a very fine movie.But it's the dialogue, at least for an American, that drives you crazy.Not that there's really anything wrong with it.But you have heard a thousand parodies of this dialogue in American movies and TV. It is the ultra-controlled, almost emotionless, clipped dialogue with just the right sort of - what appears to Americans as - upper-class accents. Declarations of love that are always completely controlled. NO ONE loses control This movie is probably enjoyable for English audiences. But for American audiences who have heard these dialogues parodied a million times, it seems just SO stereo typically English, so very, very Noel Coward.