"I get the distinct feeling that I'm lost," says photographer Clint to Italian housewife Meryl Streep, and so a Brief Encounter begins, even down to a chatty neighbour who comes in right at the end and interrupts his departure. I particularly liked the beautiful oner at the candlelit table (Jack Green's the DP) that lasts four and a half minutes - hope it was a first take. And the scene with the cars in the rain - up until then the pace has been leisurely, with lots of dissolves, intimate filming and quiet - but here the pace is more jagged, the camera is her POV looking out of the truck as it first follows, then leaves, Clint's truck ahead. It's a great bit of direction. (Joel Cox edited.)
This is the one where Clint tears up in a scene but keeps his back to the camera, when most actors would be making the most of it - give me the Oscar. When asked why he replied "No one wants to see Clint Eastwood cry." Streep loved the first take spontaneity of the filming and the two worked well together.
It was a Malpaso / Amblin co-production, interestingly. Amblin held the rights to Robert James Waller's novel and Spielberg was at one time going to direct it. The screenplay is by Richard LaGravenese (The Fisher King, A Little Princess, The Mirror Has Two Faces, The Horse Whisperer, P.S. I Love You, Water for Elephants, Behind the Candelabra). Good music from Lennie Niehaus. Note the first scenes where they're together all the music is naturally occurring - what's on the radio.
I remember the first time I saw The Mule I wished I'd seen more smiley Clint like he is at the beginning. Of course here he is, and no doubt also in things like Bronco Billy. It's a most refreshing change.
The kids are Annie Corley and Jim Haynie.
Can't quite see the attraction of the covered bridges - and why cover a bridge at all - but thought the film wonderfully tangy - port and stilton.
Weird the credits say it was filmed in Panavision when it wasn't. Nice bits of Clint's beloved jazz here and there. Intriguingly, the film won the Cahiers Du Cinéma Best Film of the Nineties award (tied with Carlito's Way and Goodbye, South, Goodbye). Unforgiven was also in the Top Ten.
Tom Stern isn't on this one - he was working on French Kiss and Dangerous Minds at the time.
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