UNFAITHFUL, 2002
Movie Review

A New York suburban couple's marriage goes dangerously awry when the wife indulges in an adulterous fling.

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REVIEW:

A film about lust, desire and passion, Unfaithful is a compelling examination of a woman straying from her seemingly pleasant marriage and into the arms of another man for no particular reason other than lust. The film offers no explanation as to why Connie (Lane) commits infidelity. It simply takes a moment in a marriage where the wife commits an adulterous act but not out of spite, malice or anything superficial, at least we don’t think.

Is it possible her marriage simply lacked passion? Sure. Diane’s scenes with Richard feel more like a couple from a 1950’s TV shows trying to avoid censorship. If you told me they slept in separate beds I would believe you. There is certainly something off about their marriage, but is that enough to stray from her loyal and loving husband? We don’t know. All we know is that’s exacting what she does.

In one of her best, if not, the best performances of her career Diane Lane is absolutely mesmerizing in her role as a conflicted wife struggling with her conscience as she become infatuated with Latino actor Oliver Martinez who plays the object of her desire. He’s smooth, confident and forward in his advances to Connie, never hiding his objective.

The two meet after Connie gets caught in a strong wind on the street in New York. She falls, injuring her leg. Paul (Martinez) offers to help, and for a moment the thought of leaving clearly crosses Connie’s mind. An empty cab even drives by, but against her better judgment she goes with Paul. He invites her to his home where he addresses her injury, but Connie becomes uncomfortable after one too many advances and decides to leave. Before she does however Paul gives her a book as a gift.

That small chance encounter, which life is filled with, culminates in a lustful illicit affair. The chemistry between Diane and Oliver steams up the screen. If you ever wondered what physical sexual passion looked like, watch their scenes together. You could touch it it’s so palpable and real. No wonder this movie, and their scenes together, constantly find its way on the list of sexiest movies of all time.

Richard Gere does nice job here as well giving a quiet performance. For the most part, Gere is subtle throughout the picture, even when he begins to suspect his wife of cheating. Over time, we can see the anguish gradually appearing. His face becomes a landscape of personal anguish, confusion, distrust and eventually fury, culminating in a rather dark climax.

Unfaithful is not without its flaws however, because while Diane is wonderful in her role, the film seems to be supported on the affair of Connie and Paul. We’re not given any further insight into the marriage between Connie and her husband, not that it’s entirely important, however story wise we’re only left with the developing affair, which doesn’t really go any further than sex. Sure, Diane becomes captivated with Paul on a personal level, even getting jealous when she suspect him of cheating on her, but that’s not really much to go on. Yet despite its flaws, Unfaithful is still a surprisingly entertaining film with an unexpected twist in the end and a stand out performance from the talented Diane Lane.

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UNFAITHFUL