Unfaithful (2002) User Reviews (607)

The Ending

[fdbjr · 8/10 · 11 May 2009]

I am writing seven years after the fact to express my bafflement over the thought that the ending, which to me was as straightforward as an arrow shot from a bow, could ever be mistaken as ambiguous.

'Unfaithful' is an old fashioned morality tale, that moves in one direction almost vector-style. It is about a woman who allows a passing fancy to become an obsession, and finds the obsession devouring her entire life.

Her husband ends up murdering her lover. He at first appears to have escaped consequences, but as the movie closes, it is apparent the crime will be discovered. At the end of the movie, the couple are talking in the car about love and their lives together - then the camera pans back to show they are outside a police station. To me, the thought that some have that they may run away, may not, is out of the question. The synopsis is dead wrong. This last dialog is not hopeful, but forlorn and anguished. All that they have had is irretrievably lost, due to the wife's foolishness and her husband's anger.

Some members of the audience forget that characters in a movie are supposed to behave realistically. The couple in Unfaithful are far too entrenched in their upper middle class lives to have any genuine chance of flight. That last dialog is intended to underscore how much has been lost, and what devastating consequences the affair has had. It is NOT a discussion of possible alternative. The moment after the picture ends, the husband is going to surrender himself to the police. He really has no other choice.

To me, this ending was sad, profound, and absolutely logical, the fitting end to a picture in which there had been a great deal of commentary on the risks of infidelity.

not quite what I expected!

[whirligig · 8/10 · 12 May 2002]

First off, I was quite surprised to see the cinema so full for this movie, even on opening weekend. I guess not that many movies for women in their 30's plus exist these days!

I expected this movie, as I'm sure many people did, to be a Fatal Attraction but with the genders switched around.

I was pleasantly surprised and shocked by it NOT being what I expected, and I definitely enjoyed it alot more than Fatal Attraction.

The summary of this movie is that Diane Lane's character starts cheating on her husband (Richard Gere) with a beautiful French man(Olivier Martinez). Everything else should be left for surprise.

The pacing of this movie is perfect. We got a sense of Connie and Edward's home life before she met the dashing Paul. They have a darling son, Charlie, who adds alot of humour to the movie, but in a non precocious way. After the affair starts we see Connie's feelings range from excitement to complete disgust with herself. And of course Edward inevitably finds out. His reaction is interesting, to say the least, and perhaps very honest.

The acting is great, especially from Diane Lane. The sex scenes are pretty raunchy, and made me uncomfortable at certain points, but it's interesting to see how different sex with the lover and sex with the husband were.

At the end of this movie I didn't feel cheated or robbed with some contrived ending (although others may argue differently). This film dealt with how being in an affair must feel, and how finding out you're being cheated on could make your react in uncharacteristic ways.

As a movie critic said, this movie will indeed make you never have an affair!

A great performance by Diane Lane

[GMJames · 7/10 · 8 February 2003]

There is no such thing as an indifferent movie directed by Adrian Lyne. You'll either love it or hate it.

I liked "Fatal Attraction" though I prefer the original ending, not the revised, way-over-the-top, grade B shock ending. I was not impressed with his other hit "Flashdance". (I've chosen not to see "9 1/2 Weeks" and "Indecent Proposal" for various reasons.)

Many viewers have said that "Unfaithful" is simply a role reversal of Lyne's earlier hit "Fatal Attraction". It might be accurate but I don't think it's totally a fair comparison.

I felt that the affair between Connie Sumner (Diane Lane) and Paul Martel (Olivier Martinez) was just a basic physical attraction. It was a need that, for some reason, was not met with her husband. At the same time, the affair became more of an addiction for Connie. There's no love at all in that relationship. There is love between Connie and Edward (Richard Gere) but from what is presented on the screen, their love is on low tide. They certainly took each other for granted.

What impressed me the most about "Unfaithful" was that director Lyne and screenwriters Alvin Sargent & William Broyles, Jr. (adapted from Claude Chabrol's "La Femme Infidèle") did not shy away from the consequences of having an affair. There was no easy out for Connie and Edward and no tidy endings.

Gere was O.K. That's not to say he was bad. He didn't impress me very much. It was odd but rather interesting to see him play this rather drab, nerdy character. Something to consider: if the movie was remade in the late 70s or early 80s, Gere definitely would've played the other man.

I was angry at Connie for having an affair and betraying her family. I also felt some sympathy toward her: She was not a bad person. She's basically a good person who made some very bad choices.

One sequence that stood out for me (and apparently for many others) was when Connie is on the commuter train heading back home after her second encounter with Paul. Her facial expressions are so subtle but also tells more about what's going on with her with no dialog. The reactions range from excitement to anger to resignation to fear.

(In the Special Features section of the DVD, check out the interview with veteran film editor Anne V. Coates. She brings an interesting perspective on how she was able to edit the sequence.)

Diane Lane has received many well-deserved accolades for her performance. It's perhaps her best adult performance in her career which started in 1979 when she was just 14 in the wonderful comedy/drama "A Little Romance".

"Unfaithful" has a few weaknesses but luckily they are overshadowed by the film's many strengths, especially Diane Lane.

A film about human choices, lusts, and consequences

[bondgirl6781 · 22 October 2004]

Adrian Lyne is fascinated by human sexuality and he presents it in a way that is adult but without being pornographic. Unfaithful tells the story of a perfectly normal and happy couple, Edward (Richard Gere) and Connie (Diane Lane). They look ideal: he is a very successful businessman, she is a wonderful and loving wife and mother to their young son, and they live in a beautiful home. Everything is perfect until one day Connie goes into the city to shop for her son's birthday party when a wind storm makes her bump into a handsome French librarian/book collector named Paul (Olivier Martinez). She is injured and unable to get a taxi, Paul helps her and when he was unable to get her into a taxi he offers her to come upstairs to his apartment to use a telephone and bandage up her injury. Connie is immediately attracted and fascinated by the handsome stranger, but nothing happens and she goes home but she cannot stop thinking about Paul. She goes back and finds him. In the second encounter with Paul nothing happens but she still cannot stop thinking about him and it seems very obvious to Paul that he is also attracted to her. In the third encounter, Paul and Connie have sex and it is the beginning of a tumultuous affair that will set a chain reaction of guilt, jealousy, obsession, heartbreak, and murder.

I love how Adrian Lyne (very much like he did in Fatal Attraction) adds the human drama of the family breaking apart because of an infidelity. Connie was not looking for an affair and her relationship with Paul was the result of an accident. We don't even question why Connie has an affair with this person. She did it out of impulse, out of lust, and for the pure excitement of how far she could take it until she realizes the effect it begins to have on her: she begins to obsess over Paul, she is hurting the man she truly loves, Edward, and she begins to see the toll it takes on her as a mother. After another encounter with her lover she is late to pick up her son from school who is waiting for her on the steps of the school. We see the slow fall the family begins to take and we are even touched at the little child's innocence and how he never ever picks up the signals that his parent's marriage is breaking apart. The performances by the actors are especially effective particularly by the two leads: Richard Gere and Diane Lane. Gere is heartbreaking in a role that plays opposite to the playboy image that made him famous as he plays the role of a man whose own world falls apart as he begins to suspect his wife's infidelity and his own humiliation begins to take a toll on him. He never even asks his wife if she is cheating but hires a private detective. The ending when he tells Connie that it was her that he hated and it was her that he wished would die...what a great Richard Gere moment! And of course there is Diane Lane: she was beautiful at 13 and she is beautiful today. She is magnificent in this role which was originally intended for actresses like Sharon Stone and Kim Basinger who were the original choices for the role of Connie. But one word describes Lane's performance: luminous. The classic Lane moment was the scene with her on the train on her way home after her first sexual encounter with Paul. A scene that was shot only once and Lane's expressions changes from giddy, guilty, shameful, embarrassed, and excited as she cries and laughs and giggles. All of these expressions flashing through in a matter of seconds all in one shot! The scene where she finds the pictures of her and her lover taken by the private detective; How she looks through them and waves of nausea, embarrassment, guilt, and absolute regret. The scene where she sits by the fireplace as she burns the pictures taken by the PI and she looks back and wishes that she had never gone up in the apartment and if she had just gone home. Lane doesn't make us hate her character but at the same time doesn't really allow us to condone Connie's actions. She rather shows the audience that Connie is only a HUMAN being and she is not perfect and she made a mistake and that she feels lust and also feels guilt. It is a touching and sexy performance. Even Olivier Martinez plays his role effectively. He is if anything an innocent. He didn't fall in love with Connie and he wasn't searching for anyone. He was simply fulfilling his own desires and hers and it aroused him, but his desires in the end made him the victim of a tragedy that didn't need to happen. He is also very sexy and very mysterious and what woman in the planet wouldn't lust after him! Unfaithful really plays itself out as a human story about lust and the consequences but it doesn't preach. It's message is that no one is perfect and everyone is only human and we respond to the basic human desires and needs but there is always a consequence for every decision or impulse made. An excellent film.

Hard to take seriously at times

[hoxjennifer · 6/10 · 17 December 2015]

From the tag-line, I expected this movie to be about a secret, lusty affair and a jealous, raging husband who takes things too far. The secret, lusty affair part is right, but, it wasn't exactly what I was expecting in terms of storyline. Which isn't' to say the story itself is bad, it's not, but the execution of it was hard to take seriously at times.

First off, usually with these adultery movies, we at least understand why the adulterer wants to cheat. I found that the exposition into Connie's life was not adequate enough for me to feel sorry for, or at the least understand her. She lives in a quiet suburb, she has been "happily" married for 11 years, she has an 8 year old son, who is cute, but somewhat annoying, as boys that age can be, her house is in a state of disarray because of this, and she seems to spend her days... doing... not much.

She goes into town one day (wearing heels and a tight fitting dress... to shop for "auction items?") and randomly falls into a *gasp* sexy French man. She scrapes her knee in the tumble and the sexy French man invites her in to clean up. Cue sexual tension.

Turns out, the French man makes his living as a bookseller and offers to give her a book of poetry about getting "drunk off Life", and inside the book he has snuck his phone # in it, for her to discover while she opens the book one day at home. Of course, being the foolish woman she is, she decides to call him, and things escalate from there...

Now I won't reveal any more details, but at times it is just hard to take Diane Lane's character seriously. I won't disagree that her acting is amazing, but just the way the character is written and her actions is just extremely frustrating. At times, she is a guilty housewife, a lustful adulterer, and a terrible liar. The only character who I truly feel for and believe is fully developed and genuine is the husband, who displays an honest and believable reaction to finding out about the affair (let's face it, obviously he will find out, who are we kidding)...

But, honestly, this movie had the potential for a higher rating from me... it just needed better execution overall.

Surprisingly good

[Teebs2 · 7/10 · 24 January 2006]

Diane Lane undeniably holds together this film with a magnificent Oscar-nominated performance as the middle-class housewife who has a fling with a charming young Frenchman with tragic consequences.

The first hour or so of this film does play like any stereotypical "housewife fantasy". Adrian Lyne, second only to the Scott brothers for slick visual style, uses symbolism from the outset as what seems to be a desolate and deserted landscape turns out to be a seemingly happy family home. Connie's initial "meet-cute" with Paul is preceded and caused, quite literally by an almighty wind of change...You get the idea. Lane successfully keeps the audiences sympathies despite her devastatingly selfish and irrational actions. Thankfully, she doesn't quite submit to his charms and fall into bed with him immediately - it's only after some painfully awkward meetings and phone calls that the first sizzling, erotic scene occurs.

As the affair continues I found my sympathies strongly transferring to Connie's husband, played by Richard Gere, and son. Her actions become more and more selfish and the web of lies and half-truths begin. In one strong scene the incredibly beautiful Connie, turns down her husbands loving, sexual advances in an atmospheric bathtub, leaving him visibly hurt and aware that something is badly wrong. In contrast Connie has passionless sex with Paul in a restaurant toilet, when a chance encounter with friends prevents her from seeing him at his flat.

Like a couple of other recent dramas such as "In the Bedroom", the film does eventually, and disappointingly veer into conventional thriller territory. It is to Lyne, the script and his cast's credit that the film remains completely involving as both couples secrets become clear, and they are forced to regain and find strength in their relationship in different ways for their families survival.

On the downside, Gere is heavily outclassed in the acting stakes by Lane, though the chemistry is there which is important. Olivier Martinez certainly looks the part, although I did feel the part was underwritten despite his role being, essentially, a mere plot device. As stated earlier, the symbolism is a touch heavy handed, though the visuals are always attractive.

Overall, a surprisingly intelligent and moving look at infidelity and it's consequences on an otherwise stable and comfortable family. Lane's performance is tremendous and the script offers an incisive look at the dynamics of the couples relationship as the affair progresses, and after, as tragic events unfold. Although the film does veer into conventional thriller territory eventually, the film always tends towards reality rather than genre/movie logic, and the ending is wonderfully ambiguous.

Cheating with classy Diane Lane

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 14 April 2014]

Connie (Diane Lane) and Ed Sumner (Richard Gere) are a suburban married couple with a kid Charlie (Erik Per Sullivan). Nothing terrible has happened but their marriage shows signs of wear. Then the winds of change starts to blow literally, and she collides with Paul Martel (Olivier Martinez) in the city. He helps her out with her skinned knee. She just can't keep him out of her mind and calls him up. She keeps returning to him and finally submits to his charms. However Ed starts putting it all together.

Diane Lane makes cheating classy. This movie may not work with somebody else. Never has a woman thinking about sex look so great. The story is basically a romance novel. One thing director Adrian Lyne knows about is how to class up some sexual ugliness. The use of classical piano almost makes the audience root for the cheaters. I am less certain about the on-the-nose Olivier Martinez, but the appealing Diane Lane makes up for any deficiencies.

Surprisingly good

[pro-andy · 7/10 · 17 February 2003]

When I saw "Fatal atractions" in 1999 I didn´t see why everyone seems to think that film is sooo good. I think this one is much better. Better acting from Richard Gere than from Michael Douglas. I also think that Diane Lane made a very solid performance. The music was very very good. Especially in some of the final scenes where Edward is sitting with his son by the piano.

Flaws?? hmm, perhaps why Diane Lane´s character seems to be so intrested in the Paul Martel-charcter. I think he was very disgusting the whole film.

another flaw that is more serious is that it´s going too slow from time to time.

RATING: 7 out of 10

+ = Richard Gere, Diane Lane, Music, Envirements - = tempo & parts of the story

// Andreas Olsson

Ludicrously underrated

[mppullar · 10/10 · 28 March 2003]

Every now and then, I read a review of a film which is so drastically different to my own reaction to it that I wonder if we have watched the same film. This is the case for almost EVERY review of "Unfaithful". Aside from the occasional positive comment that I have read by other IMDB users, and the glowing review given by Margaret Pommeranz on the (Australian) "Movie Show" (four and a half stars, if I remember correctly), this film seems to have met with either negative or ambivalent reactions from everyone. And this surprises me immensely, because I was overwhelmed by it. I expected quite a good, slightly arty film with good performances (particularly from Diane Lane, who really impressed me in Coppola's "The Cotton Club"). What I got was a film which I think will be one of my favourites for many years to come.

The criticisms that I have read of "Unfaithful" don't confuse me because they disagree with me. I can accept that - no really, I can, although I don't see how anyone could miss the brilliant acting (one user comment said that any Hollywood actress could have done Diane Lane's performance - well, I DO look forward to the J.Lo remake in a few years), or the amazing photography, this being one of the most lush and seductive films I have seen in a long time. It's the way in which the reviewers have seemingly missed the entire point of the film, or fell asleep half-way through it.

Firstly, I will concede that Connie's motivations were unclear (although I'd call it subtlety, rather than poor scripting), but they weren't as unclear as many people would have you believe. Nor did Lyne simplify the relationship between Connie and Paul (someone called him Marcel - perhaps they DID watch another movie, or just couldn't spell his surname) - in fact, I would suggest that anyone who thought Connie was willing to sleep with the first guy she met would do well to rewatch this film and see the way that her mind works (or do you need a voice-over narration in addition to Lane's phenomenal performance?). In addition to this, I have read complaints about nudity (because apparently has no place in an erotic drama/thriller), technical problems (the reviewer who mentioned this loved the movie, but had issues with constant shots of the entire microphone, shots which he/she found very hard to ignore, but which I managed to miss completely) and the apparently "cliched" narrative. In response to the latter, I don't want to give anything away, but this film, although addressing a common topic (ie. adultery), is by no means a traditional Hollywood film, and certainly doesn't treat the topic in the same way that every other film has. Many may find the ending unfulfilling, but I can't comprehend the idea of it being cloying and unoriginal. And even if the narrative itself is conventional, the way in which it is handled by cast, director and technical crew (if you can forgive the microphone shots, I suppose) puts it so far above any of its counterparts as to warrant a much warmer reception than it seems to have been given.

Diane Lane deserved the Oscar for this, without question. Unfortunately, her film came in a year when every single Best Actress nominee was of nearly equal quality. As you can see, I liked it - and wish that more people felt the same way about it. The only suggestion I can offer is that, if you have yet to see it, then don't go into it expecting a standard thriller - in fact, it can be quite slow-moving at times. But let it be what it is, because it does a damn good job at that.

Story was underdeveloped

[stevenlisa · 6/10 · 25 May 2002]

We went and saw the movie together, and both came away with the same impression. The movie focused too much on the affair, and did not develop what should have been a great scenerio after Richard Gere confronts the young lover. The affair, which was what the movie focused on, was impressive. And you got some idea of what it was that drove her in her obsession. However, we felt that what happened after would have served the audience with much more to remember than just steamy sex scenes and the the uncomfortable feeling you got from watching a partner destroy the trust and honesty in her relationship. We both however did like the ending. From watching some promotional interviews, Richard Gere said there were a couple of endings shot for the movie, and he personally liked the ending that finally was used. We liked it also. Anyway, if you haven't seen it yet, might want to wait till it hits video. And then, enjoy the guilty pleasures of the affair (if you can) and don't expect to feel satisfied when you are done watching it.

unbelievable

[charbrom · 3/10 · 12 August 2002]

Starts promising, then takes a few wrong turns and finishes rather unsatisfying. 'Unfaithful' leaves you (I know this is a cliche) with more questions than answers. Besides: Gere and Lane seem to have a very strange marriage (11 years, mind you) in this film. Not telling the other person anything doesn't seem to bother them. And after they have lied to each other on numerous occasions, they can still look at each other like they are madly in love. Lie to me, please!!! Last remark: NYPD can't be too satisfied with this flick. Two major suspects in a homicide can say "just leave us alone" and they're homefree. Yeah, right. 3/10

A deeply haunting and provocative masterpiece. Stunningfilm-making.

[peterpemberton1 · 10/10 · 4 May 2002]

Whoever thought that director Adrian Lyne and star Richard Gere were finished needs to see this haunting and provocative film. Because this is a stunner that will put both back on the map - big time. For all their star power though, it is the female star Diane Lane who must take huge credit for making this such an effective movie.

I've always liked Lane as an actress from when she was a kid in Francis Ford Coppola films, but she rarely got the chance to 'carry' a film. Well, she not only 'carries' UNFAITHFUL, she delivers one of the most haunting and powerful performances I have seen from an actress. Think Julia Roberts in ERIN BROCKOVICH or Ellen Burstyn in REQUIEM FOR A DREAM and you get the picture. Stunning acting.

While the committed performances are what make a great movie greater, it is Adrian Lyne who has constructed such a wonderful and effective rhythm and style to UNFAITHFUL. This is not an art-film, but it is not a blockbuster either. It lays somewhere between the two and delivers on all fronts. I was totally glued to my seat from start to finish.

A HUGE LET DOWN

[jmcgee-1 · 6/10 · 24 December 2003]

This film was a huge let down,the commercials had it like it was going to be the bomb and that song in the trailer just made you want to see it more.Well let me tell you,it wasen't the bomb and it didn't have that song in the in it also.

This film is about a women named Connie who has a perfect life,child,and husband.But all that is about to change when she has an affair with an handsome stranger.Somehow Edward(her husband)finds out that something is going on.So he seens a private investigator to investigate.

This film is directed by Adrian Lyne(Fatal Attraction,(9 1/2 Weeks)who is really getting old with these obsession films.Richard Gere(Edward)plays the role wonderfully,and made me care and love his role.Diane Lane(Connie)pissed me off with her role,I mean how can you cheat on somebody that nice.And she won an oscar,for what,she played an average cheating wh***.Olivier Martinez(Whatever)was the reason I'm p***ed off at Diane.If he knew she was married why still sleep with her.

The only reason to see this is for Richard Gere performance.Rent it,but it's still an let down.

No Faith in This Film.

[anaconda-40658 · 5/10 · 9 June 2015]

Unfaithful (2002): Dir: Adrian Lyne / Cast: Richard Gere, Diane Lane, Oliver Martinez, Erik Per Sullivan, Michelle Monaghan: Painful yet well crafted film regarding unfaithfulness. Richard Gere and Diane Lane play a married couple whose marriage is threatened when she has an affair with a bookseller played by Oliver Martinez. Predictable and dark especially when murder factors. Even a visit from the police seems recycled and obvious. Adrian Lyne's films often address sexual consequence but the sex scenes seem more as a peep show. Better examples of his work are Indecent Proposal and 9 ½ Weeks but this is not one of his better films thanks to its emphasis on being a peep show. In the first the sexual tension is high but not shown. In the second it is displayed in multiple variety to back its subject matter. Here it just seems like an excuse to place two actors in hot sexual action. Gere and Lane deliver on frustration and guilt despite being props for a dim cliffhanger. Martinez is charming and seductive and ultimately too abrupt. Other roles play for convenience over purpose. As with most Lyne films, this one is well made in terms of locations and lighting but its message might have worked more effectively had the affair been less of a peep show and more about motives and consequence. As a result it is more about steamy sex than the consequences of infidelity. Score: 5 ½ / 10

La Femme Infidèle

[Chrysanthepop · 15 July 2008]

I wasn't expecting much from 'Unfaithful' as I thought it would be another 'The Perfect Murder' type thriller. But 'Unfaithful' is so much more than what 'The Perfect Murder' could ever be. It's deeper. It's darker. It has so many psychological layers. It's more a character driven drama rather than than plot driven. The plot may not be exactly original but it's the influence of it on the characters is what 'Unfaithful' is about. The film is very engaging as we witness the psychological effects of the consequences of Connie's decision. Lyne deserves praise for his excellent artistic execution. I loved how he used symbolism (such as metaphors and pathetic fallacies) and shows great attention to detail as is evident in the visuals. The editing is clear cut. Biziou's cinematography is great and Kaczmarek's score sets the tone. Note that during the key moments, when the main characters are conversing, the background music is absent. Richard Gere and Olivier Martinez, though a little too old, do decent jobs. However, it is Diane Lane who gives a career-defining performance. Her sublime portrayal of the incredibly sexy Connie is awesome. She carries the film. It is Diane Lane and Adrian Lyne's film. 'Unfaithful' is a magnificent engaging artistic drama. I don't understand why some were even harsh enough to call it soft-core. Do they even know the definition of soft-core? Others seem to have a problem with why Connie, who had the perfect life, would have an affair. But I feel it necessary to stress that nobody is perfect and therefore the perfect life does not exist. Connie's affair wasn't a planned thing. Who knows why it happened? Perhaps she wanted to feel younger, perhaps she was bored, or perhaps she wanted more from her husband. I don't think it was with the intention to ruin her 'perfect' life. There doesn't have to be a clear reason...as affair's don't necessarily happen for the best reasons.

Possibly Diane Lane's best leading role is sadly not her best film

[a_chinn · 6/10 · 27 January 2018]

Diane Lane cheats on husband Richard Gere with hunky Olivier Martinez, hence the title of the film. Based on the much smarter Claude Chabrol film "La Femme infidèle," this American remake directed by Adrian Lyne ("Indecent Proposal" "Fatal Attraction") is slickly made, but lacking in any depth, outside of the dramatic sutuation. The film was adapted by Alvin Sargent, who's written everything from "Paper Moon" to "Ordinary People" to the recent Marvel Spider-Man films and also by William Broyles Jr. (Appollo 13" and "Flags of Our Fathers"), so you might have expected a better script, and Lyne is a director who's films are typically only as good as his scripts. The Chabrol film presented a routine marriage reinvigorated by the husband's murder of his wife's lover, but Lyne's film doesn't go anywhere that dark and ends on a rather ambiguous note. What "Unfaithful" does feature is an excellent performance by Diane Lane, who really carries the water for the film. Lane makes her character's choices and actions believable, elevating what could have easily been an empty-headed Zalman King "Red Shoes Diaries" type of softcore film to something more interesting. She makes her character's inner conflict palpable and pulls the audience into her character's justifications for her choices, right or wrong. Besides Lane, the film also benefits from a fine score by composer A.P. Kaczmarek and lush photography by Peter Biziou. Lyne is an interesting commercial director who poses interesting questions and situations in his films, but most lack the depth to be considered much beyond commercial entertainment ("Jacob's Ladder" being the exception). Overall, this is a mediocre story that's vastly elevated by a strong performance by Lane. I may be biased in favor of this film because I've had a crush on Diane Lane ever since I was 11-years old and I saw her in "Six Pack" with Kenny Rogers.

Destined to happen?

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 4 May 2006]

Obviously, there have been many movies about people having affairs. In fact, Adrian Lyne - who directed "Unfaithful" - directed "Fatal Attraction". But good performances keep this one afloat. They create an interesting blend of drama and suspense here, with wife Diane Lane having the affair, and husband Richard Gere wondering how long he can put up with it.

I don't know whether this is really any masterpiece. It mostly seems pretty routine. It's just that it creates a feeling of impending doom. Also starring Olivier Martinez and Erik Per Sullivan (aka Dewey on "Malcolm in the Middle").

Uneven, uncomfortable, unrealistic

[agacyb · 7/10 · 8 June 2002]

CONTAINS SPOILERS "Unfaithful" has some very good scenes, and then it has others that seem to be trying (and failing) to make up for that horrible bunny-boiling hackjob of "Fatal Attraction". I'd say director Lyne took the "shotgun approach" -- shooting in all directions to see what he could hit. When it comes to documenting how a "good wife" can stray, he does a great job. Mistake number one, however, was portraying her husband (Gere) as so Hollywood-leading-man-perfect. Handsome, considerate, adores her (and of course is completely faithful, we automatically assume), attentive father, even helps clean up the kitchen, for godsake. I suppose the director wanted to say, "Even the perfect husband can never be sure his wife won't f**k someone else." Sure that's true, but only because THERE IS NO SUCH ANIMAL. Perfect, handsome, helpful screen husbands really bug me.

So, let's assume her husband is gorgeous and wonderful, but humanly flawed in some way besides putting his shirt on inside-out, and she has reason to feel bored or neglected, or irritated -- SOMETHING. And then she does something completely human, and gets caught up in the emotional undertow of the mind-blowing sex.

Gere's scene at the lover's apartment started out great. Gere was looking for something to hold onto, some meaning, some explanation, and I could see that he realized that nothing was going to give him that. He would probably just keep seeing that smirking Frenchman's face in his clouded mind for the rest of his life. Somehow he needed to get the smirk off his face. Still, the murder was over the top. That turned the movie from a realistic exploration into a silly thriller. Now the questions become too many to keep track of. Not simply, how does an affair happen and how do people live/deal with it? But, how do you clean up after a murder, what do you do with the body, how do you lie to the police, and how do you live with the crime for the rest of your life? Too much, not the central point of the movie, distracting, unreal.

Getting back to the real issue, one of my favorite moments came near the end, when Connie "flashed back" but revised in her fantasy the beginning of the affair: Instead of going up to his apartment, she managed to get a cab, and drove away, "seeing" herself make the other choice.

Pity that Lyne seems compelled to give us the hackneyed story of adultery destroying everything with its obsession. Someone needs to tell the other sides of the adultery story. But that will require a wiser hand than his.

red light, green light

[ferguson-6 · 6/10 · 17 May 2002]

Greetings again from the darkness. So many glowing reviews of this film that I found to be extremely predictable and almost emotionless for such an emotional topic. OK, the subject matter is handled in a slightly more realistic manner than is the Hollywood custom, but still no real surprises. Underrated Diane Lane does have some nice moments of disgust and regret, but the two male co-stars seem to be little more than decoration. The little kid from "Malcom in the Middle" is there to make us believe that Gere and Lane have a wonderful family and life living in a dream home. It is just difficult for me to believe anyone would throw away this perfect life for lust ... especially with time to ponder the move. And I am a GUY! Director Adrian Lyne has quite a track record of showing the weak side of people. I think he specializes in this because it is such an easy topic/target. It is nice to see a movie written for the over 35 crowd. Now if we could get just a bit more depth.

Oscar nominee Diane Lane is seductive and sexy in Unfaithful

[jennifergally · 10/10 · 23 June 2003]

Unfaithful was an extremely powerful movie and was much, much more than what i had expected when i rented the dvd. Diane Lane was the main reason i got this film out because i had heard so many good things about her performance and that she has won the Oscar nomination for best actress in the films main role. Well, the hype was true. The film is excellent and Diane is seductive, sexy and downright awesome as the films main focus. She proves here what many believed before... she is a beautiful and talented star capable of carrying a movie. Richard Gere gives very solid support to her and the films director really knows his game. An all around winner.

WHY!!!???

[cwd2017 · 6/10 · 2 June 2020]

Some ask why Diane Lane's character, a good woman with an attentive husband, would risk her whole life by having an affair with a much younger man. To feel young again? Lust? Excitement? Her husband, Richard gere, is portrayed as the kind of guy who would be open to honest communication that should have taken place before Diane Lane jumped in the sack with Paul. Obviously there was discontent in her life before she met the guy; no one goes from happily married to happily married plus one. And Gere had to have been tempted over the years. But he apparently never acted on those impulses and channeled his energy and emotions into his marriage. So what's up with Lane? Having recently watched all ten episodes of GYPSY,with Naomi Watts, I can answer that: POWER. having a huge secret makes you feel powerful and excited and continually aroused, and your emotions aren't invested in one person, which is scary when you first get married. Lane has nothing of her own, no job, no money of her own to hide from her husband. So she feels she needs something of her own that will put a Mona Lisa smile on her face when not with her lover, with whom she can experiment sexually, try things she's be too embarrassed to try with Gere. POWER is what the affair gives her, and she is seduced by it. And that POWER consumes everything in her life.

Why?

[jennoyed · 1/10 · 11 May 2002]

You have a loving husband and a kid who doesn't require medication or pre-teen bootcamp. Your husband owns his own company, so you don't have to work. Instead, you can let your maid do the menial housework so you can spend your days wearing cute clothes, shopping, raising money for charity, and picking the kid up from school. You have a gorgeous house, high priced vehicles, and the man you married is utterly devoted. In spite of all this you opt to get it on with some guy with bad teeth and a subleased apartment. Then you get psychotic and possessive about him, even though you have no intention of leaving your family for him. Why? Sure, Richard Gere is old and has beady little eyes, but he beats the hell out of most dads strolling state fairgrounds and football stadiums.

I just don't get it. Maybe it's because I'm single with no family and no money and no Mercedes with a leather interior, so I have trouble understanding why it is that when you have everything, you'd risk losing it for some hot sex. Don't get me wrong, I like hot sex too, and the scenes in the movie almost made it seem worth the risk. On the other hand, I don't understand why in our new HIV world you'd get it on with a stranger and not just get a naughty book or movie and take it home to a husband who'd be more than willing to oblige.

I hated this movie. Diane Lane looked fabulous in it, and you can't help but envy her body and respect all the effort she must put into it. But that ain't worth even matinee prices.

Very intriguing!

[mattymatt4ever · 8/10 · 11 May 2002]

Is this a "great" film? Is this a Oscar-winning masterpiece? I honestly do not know. I was so engrossed in the plot that I didn't have time to judge artistic value. I was glued to my seat from start to finish. This is sassy, sexy thriller that delivers the goods and then some. But the actors make it work. The chemistry between each of the characters is electric.

Though Richard Gere gets star billing, it's the beautiful Diane Lane who has the most screen time. I'm always delighted to see her beautiful face on screen, but this is her most powerful performance up-to-date. Newcomer Olivier Martinez shows great charisma. He is a very talented actor, and if he goes on with his career in American movies, he can become the next Antionio Banderas. I swear, there were moments in the film where even I felt charmed by him. Richard Gere hasn't had a successful movie in years, and hopefully he'll get back on the ball with "Unfaithful." He delivers a fine, subtle performance and though I may be out on a limb, I'll say it's one of his best.

I haven't seen any of Adrian Lyne's past work, but I know he's an acclaimed director and now that I've seen this film, I'm curious to check out "Fatal Attraction" and his other past films. He definitely knows how to set the tone. The scenes have a cohesive rhythm, and I even spotted moments of symbolism.

"Unfaithful" is an intriguing, compelling piece--a real edge-of-your-seat nail-biter!

My score: 8 (out of 10)

Believable and unbelievable at times

[snktrss · 6/10 · 13 April 2020]

Believable that the wife would get caught up into an affair due to boredom in her regular life. The husbands behaviour was out of character yet shows his possession of the wife. He mentions at one point when she visits him at work that, "I can do what I want because I'm the boss." Her son is 8 and what does she do all day, go to galleries and auctions. The train scene made this film because you actually get to feel what she feels. Then the confrontation between husband and wife where he reveals its her he really wanted to hurt was intense. The movie claiming Paul/Oliver is 18 or early twenties is not believable. Late twenties early thirsties. He's a year younger than Diane Lane. Richard Gere looks great in this being 53 at the time. What was believable to me that another reviewer felt was not, is how one could get hurt from a snow globe, well good quality ones are heavy and made of actual glass.

PLEASE GIVE ME AN ENDING!!!!!!!!!!!

[gallemore · 3/10 · 19 May 2002]

I invested so much time and patience and popcorn into watching that movie, and there is no ending????? PLEEEEASE!!!!!!!!!!!! Lots of steamy scenes and fantasy. Great acting on everyones part, but I go to the movies for entertainment, this was a cop out lack of an ending.