The Film: When housewife Laura (Cecilia Johnson) finds herself falling for Alec (Trevor Howard), she discovers a love which is vibrant and exciting, unlike the dutiful connection she feels for her husband.

The Affair: Alec and Laura's affair is one of the most famous in cinema history.

It's also the most polite. They go about it in such a proper way. It's all terribly, terribly sexless and British.

Long-Term Relationship? Alas, no. And they don't even get to say a proper goodbye, either. It's interrupted by some jibbering idiot at the train station.