Rocco (Adriano Giannini) meets Lea (Pilar Fogliati) at a bar one evening. They strike up conversation and Rocco offers her a lift home when he realises she’s had too much to drink and can’t drive herself. Before they part ways, the two share a kiss and it’s revealed that both are married to other people. Even though they know what they’re doing is wrong, Rocco and Lea continue to see one another, but Rocco begins to worry when Lea shows signs of becoming obsessive. As he tries to keep their affair a secret, Lea’s behaviour threatens to out them both to their respective partners.
‘A Brief Affair’ from Italian film-maker Ludovica Rampoldi sets itself up to be a modern day ‘Fatal Attraction’. The initial meeting between Rocco and Lea seems perfectly innocent – they just happen to be two strangers at the same place at the same time. Their first kiss makes them both question their behaviour but things aren’t quite as simple as they seem. Lea is convinced that her actor husband Andrea (Andrea Carpenzano) is cheating on her with another woman, while Rocco has grown weary of his stagnant marriage to therapist Cecilia (Valeria Golino).
Rocco and Lea have immediate chemistry and their decision to pursue their affair is both reckless and selfish. We see scenes of the lovers in bed together, interspersed with moments they share with their partners, and for Lea her child. Neither Rocco nor Lea question why they are having an affair, but once Lea starts showing up in places that she knows Rocco will be, you wonder if the film is going to pursue a darker direction. Rocco is understandably unnerved that his mistress is in the vicinity of his wife, but despite his reservations he continues the affair any way.
Rampoldi isn’t asking you to pick sides or to even judge these characters. She presents what’s happening very matter of fact, which lets the audience decide how they feel about it. As the film progresses, we get to know more about Andrea and Cecilia, and you can’t help but feel sorry for them. The film’s third act untangles a very tangled web in a surprising way, and it completely turns what you thought was happening on its head. I enjoyed that it took me by surprise and it added another layer of complexity to an already morally compelling film.
Adriano Giannini and Pilar Fogliati are utterly convincing as the secret lovers threatening to blow up their own lives. They form a believable chemistry from the moment their characters meet, and you can understand why they might fall for one another. Fogliati has more emotional depth to mine for her character, but Giannini acquits himself well as a man following his urges rather than his brain. Valeria Golino, perhaps best-known for ‘Hot Shots’, gives a superb turn too as Rocco’s loyal wife Cecilia, who finds herself dragged into her husband’s mess without even realising it.
‘A Brief Affair’ is a really enjoyable film that poses plenty of moral questions. Supported by strong performances, and delivering an unexpected conclusion, I found myself hooked throughout. Rampoldi navigates taboo subject matter well and she does a good job of pulling the rug out from under you. If you like a good grown-up drama with a twist of two, then ‘A Brief Affair’ comes highly recommended.
Cast: Pilar Fogliati, Adriano Giannini, Andrea Carpenzano, Valeria Golino Director: Ludovica Rampoldi Writer: Ludovica Rampoldi Certificate: Unrated Duration: 98 mins Released by: Breaking Glass Pictures Release date: 20th October 2026
