A Brief Affair

A delectably funny and mischievous sex comedy that mines romantic infidelity to unforgettable effect, decorated screenwriter Ludovica Rampoldi’s feature debut at the helm boasts an all-star cast more than up to the task of performing her meticulously crafted games of the heart. Pilar Fogliati’s Lea meets cute with Adriano Giannini’s Rocco and they begin a hesitant affair, which takes a turn when Lea becomes a patient of Rocco’s therapist wife (a brilliant, devious Valeria Golino). A Brief Affair’s pleasures are unmistakably throwback, but Rampoldi unspools her drama with a sly, modern energy that makes its twists and turns all the more delightful. Rampoldi earned a nomination for Best New Director at this year’s Donatello Awards, and Golino was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.