Falling in Love can be described as an urban American Brief Encounter. Reteamed for the first time since The Deer Hunter, Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep star as a married couple. Thing of it is, they're not married to each other. Harvey Keitel,Jane Kaczmarek,George Martin,David Clennon and Dianne Wiest co-star to play key supporting roles.The movie is directed by Ulu Grosbard.Two married strangers meet randomly, become friends, and fall in love. They spend time together, riding the train into the city of New York, and begin meeting for coffee or lunch. They enjoy their time together and this enjoyment eventually blossoms into love. While Christmas shopping for their respective families, architect Frank Raftis and graphic artist Molly Gilmore "meet cute," their holiday packages becoming mixed up. What starts as a pleasant chance acquaintance blossoms into romance. Inevitably, however, both parties realize that what they're doing is wrong--a shade too late to save their marriages, as it turns out. The film ends with a bittersweet "one year later" coda.This is a delicately crafted and richly acted drama about a form of romantic love characterized by infatuation.Added to that,in a very different role, Robert De Niro is excellent as the leading man and Meryl Streep, as usual, gives a stellar performance.Aside from them, the fine supporting cast bring the story to life with flair and sensitivity.Overall,it is one well-acted movie.

and i mean that in a good way.for one thing,the story isn't contrived like so many others of the genre.also it's not overly sentimental or sappy.you really believe these two people could fall in love.also the way they fell in love was realistic.Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep really do come across as genuine,playing two lonely people who meet through fate.but there's only one small hitch:they're both married.the movie is not fast paced,so if that's what you're expecting,you'll be disappointed.instead,it's an honest,unconventional love story that takes some time for the relationship to develop between the two central characters.Dianne Wiest has a small role,and is almost unrecognizable.it's nice to see Harvey Kietel in an everyman kind of role,as well as Jane Kaczmarek(Malcolm in the Middle).but it's really Streep and DE Niro who make the movie what it is.if their portrayals were not authentic or honest,the film would not work.for me,Falling in Love is a 7/10

"Brief Encounter" redux has Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep, both involved in satisfying marriages, crossing paths several times before meeting each other and developing their attraction. This platonic affair isn't shown to be therapeutic for the two--in fact, it's just the opposite (Streep never looks like she's having fun). The movie examines the guilt-factor in the idea of an extra-marital fling, and director Ulu Grosbard is very adept at scaling back the temperaments of his stars (their rapport is fairly smooth). Still, a sexless affair doesn't lend itself to involving, enveloping drama, and that precise lack of passion makes itself felt. "Falling in Love" is as generic as the title. Any two competent actors could have played Frank and Molly, and the coy miscues, as well as the wholly unnecessary epilogue, handicap it in the end. ** from ****

This is a really sentimental film about how a first brief meeting, and then another few can start a bigger relationship. Starring Robert De Niro as Frank Raftis, he bumps into Meryl Streep as Molly Gilmore in a book store, and they get their wrapped books mixed up. A few months they meet each other again at the train station, and they become friends. They see each other a few more times after that, and then eventually they realise it is love, but they are both married! It is amazing how only a few meetings turns into obsession, it is obviously when bad things happen to them both, and their marriages, that you wonder if they should be together. Also starring Harvey Keitel as Ed Lasky and Edward Scissorhands' Dianne Wiest as Isabelle. Good!