LastingAware The greatest movie ever!

Nonureva Really Surprised!

Protraph Lack of good storyline.

Humbersi The first must-see film of the year.

genytenshii The other day, I was telling my friend about a couple of films that I've seen directed by Catherine Breillat (Romance and Anatomy of hell) and how they've really opened my eyes to French cinema. My friend then lent me a DVD, which was "Brief Crossing" and I put it in, holding my breath to see what else Breillat could offer. Most of the comments on the board have already outlined what happens in the movie, so I won't comment too much on the storyline. However, the movie had left me so intrigued and inspired, I also watched the extra features and the short interview with the director. Her explanations of the film have opened my eyes more to the film and it's meanings. The question of who is seducing whom... is an interesting concept. In one way, we see Thomas attempting to act like a man to appear more attractive to Alice. He continually rebuts her condemnations of men being all bad and evil and reminds her that he is not like that. And she, at the same time, continues to appear to reject his subtle advances, speaking ill of men, as if she could predict exactly what his thoughts and intentions would eventually be. I think there are many interpretations of this film. Some find it a love story of sorts, while others thought it was an interesting brief fling between two people who just wanted to get it on. I had a slightly different one. In fact, I had little sympathy for Alice and her little ways. It seemed as though she was merely bored and longed for a little excitement in her married life. And so she, the experienced one, sets out her trap to capture the innocent, virgin Thomas. Every line that she spoke, was merely a reverse psychological tactic to attract Thomas. And attract him, it did. "Don't be like the other men..." And he, "I'm not like the others". Her false objections to them sleeping together, only made him want to sleep with her more. And she clearly was aware of that. Although Catherine Breillat is a feminist director, in some ways, this movie was also very anti-feminist. Unless, her intention was to show that women are highly capable of being the manipulators that they are to get what they want. She claims it is an exploration of a woman's sexual fantasy- I guess most women want to sleep with younger men, but this borders on sexual predatoriness (And yes, I made that word up). Breillat notes in her interview that Alice's deception clearly gives Thomas the opportunity to finally become a man. To accept the disappointment and to be realistic about romance- because he clearly thought their brief fling might possibly develop into a relationship of some sort. He'll probably grow up to be a total a**hole because of this experience too. (in my humble opinion) Overall, this movie was a fantastic experience and there is much to discuss if you've watched it with your friends.

George Parker "Brief Crossing" is all about a 30 something woman and a 16 year old boy who meet during a ferry journey across the English channel. As the ferry takes us from La Havre to Portsmouth, the characters meet, shop, drink, dance, have sex, and ultimately part at their destination. Superficially, "Brief Crossing" is not much of a film. It has marginal production value, a cast of two, and a meager story. However, as a relationship film it is finely nuanced with a very natural ebb and flow of conversation, body language, evinced emotion, and human interaction. Not for everyone, this worthy addition to auteur Breillat's resume will be most appreciated by French film devotees. (B-)

raymond-15 These two actors (Sarah Pratt & Gilles Guillain ) previously unknown to me are just brilliant. Occupying the screen for most of the time their film characters are revealed to us through a series of conversations. Casually meeting on an overnight ferry bound for Portsmouth, Thomas a teenager and Alice a married woman exchange shy glances at first as they sit at the same table in the ship's cafeteria.The feelings between the two grow more intimate as the night wears on. Alice finds Thomas so naive and innocent. He acknowledges he hasn't done so well at school but hopes to become a plastic surgeon because women are so concerned about their appearance and there's money in it. Alice is very critical about men in general claiming they are selfish and only have one thing in mind. She says she has just walked out on her husband.It is interesting to watch Thomas trying to look and act older and Alice (letting down her hair ) trying to look younger. Alice is in a seductive mood and uses her womanly experience to snare him into her cabin. Shutting out the world they are now free to act without any inhibitions.All scenes are beautifully handled by the director who is obviously devoted to detail. All scenes are believable. Alice always critical and somewhat cold seems to be constantly in control, while Thomas begins to be carried away by his emotions. To him Alice seems to be more desirable by the minute.Finally there is the disembarkation scene. You think you know how it will all end, do you? Well think again. Life is never simple. Life can have its disappointments.It was my intention to record this film for later viewing but I became so absorbed at the beginning I watched it right through. It is so pleasing to find a film that is so rewarding. Highly recommended.

frankgaipa Ever wonder what would have happened in on screen meetings between, say, Jean Gabin and Mae West, Shirley Temple and Toshiro Mifune, Mastroianni and Louise Brooks? Here, it could be said, the character played by the young Jean-Pierre Léaud in a variety of films meets an atypically voluptuous Mike Leigh female, a bilingual one, with better French, and English for that matter, than that of Grace Elliot in Rohmer's recent and wondrous "L'Anglaise..." A sadly trivial approach to a film whose complexities I love, but several months have elapsed. Details blur. I know the scene in the ship's bar, maybe with a dance floor, was special. An at least slightly appropriate touchpoint for "Brève traversée" might be the Lucie-in-the-park element of "La Femme de l'aviateur," a film I did re-watch and comment recently. My comment there, though, is aimed mostly at any who've already seen it. "Tadpole" would be more of a stretch, maybe an inappropriate one, though it works better here if you take just Neuwirth and forget Weaver.