I almost gave this one a miss having seen a couple of Breillat films that were virtually hardcore porn with mainstream actors - Francois Berleand, Amira Casar - and been underwhelmed. However, compared to things like Romance and Anatomy Of Hell, Breve Traversee is Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm. Okay, there is a sexual encounter and yes, it is fairly graphic but no more so than stuff we can on TV nowadays. Breillat takes a lot of time building up to the encounter, giving us time to get to know and perhaps like and/or empathise with one or both protagonist. It's fairly basic; a channel crossing, two people travelling alone, a chance meeting, then a second one, an evening spent together over a meal and a couple of drinks, mutual attraction growing subtly - not a word I thought I'd ever use in the same sentence as Breillat - stronger until the inevitable coupling in the cabin setting up an ending as poignant as that in its almost namesake Brief Encounter. In sum: the finest work I've seen from Breillat.
Review of Brief Crossing
