Watched: Brief Encounter

Old school romance. Call me cynical, but I didn't completely believe either the initial connection between these characters or the devastation when they realize they can't be together and are never going to see each other again. I don't think this is a fault of the script or the acting (both of which are really good) but more likely my general distrust, until proven wrong, of plots wherein the characters fall in love rapidly. I think this is probably among the best of that lot, but still. Anyway, the cinematography/direction is excellent, and David Lean's frequent use of an ordinary train station as platform for epic tragic romance [PUN INTENDED, YOU'RE WELCOME] works both to employ the stunning chiaroscuro of steam/streetlights but also to ground this movie firmly in the middle class. An interesting touch: the parallel story of the woman in the platform cafe and the train conductor, unfolding as a reflection of the main characters' own romance only one class removed, in the background. Good flick.