Falling in Love (1984)

Subtlety works great up to a point, but this relationship drama strives so hard to be subtle that it drags. Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro obviously know how to wring every little nuance from even an underwritten screenplay, but the picture's delicate ache grows wearisome after a while. Assisted by Ulu Grosbard's unobtrusive direction, Jane Kaczmarek and Harvey Keitel both make fine supporting turns. But only Dianne Wiest's free-spirited gal pal breaks out of the picture's muted emotional palette. Still, given the ubiquity of infidelity as a Hollywood theme, it's refreshing to see a film focus on the inner lives of its unfaithful protagonists rather than their bedroom pyrotechnics. Falling in Love isn't a masterful film by any stretch, but it is a quietly thoughtful one. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide