Although it bears many similarities to David Lean's excellent Brief Encounter (released in 1945), this effort adds a decidedly darker dimension to the familiar tale of illicit lovers. The Passionate Friends contains a wonderfully creepy Noir feel, with an almost Hitchcock-like suspense, especially in the way the camera angles in on the characters, emphasizing the inherent volatility of their situation.
Much of the foreboding Noir doom can be attributed to the wonderful Ann Todd, who can't help but possess the dangerous look of the quintessential femme fatale, even when she's happily drinking in the excitement of a speedboat ride on a sun-drenched lake. She in fact might well have made the perfect "Hitchcock Blonde" ten years later.
The venerable Claude Rains and Trevor Howard suit their roles to good effect, especially Rains as Todd's suspicious husband. The film ends predictably, with a production code-approved resolution. But it's well worth a look, and stands up well alongside Lean's earlier Encounter.
Much of the foreboding Noir doom can be attributed to the wonderful Ann Todd, who can't help but possess the dangerous look of the quintessential femme fatale, even when she's happily drinking in the excitement of a speedboat ride on a sun-drenched lake. She in fact might well have made the perfect "Hitchcock Blonde" ten years later.
The venerable Claude Rains and Trevor Howard suit their roles to good effect, especially Rains as Todd's suspicious husband. The film ends predictably, with a production code-approved resolution. But it's well worth a look, and stands up well alongside Lean's earlier Encounter.