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Unfaithful (2002) 20th Century Fox 2 hrs. 01 min. Starring: Richard Gere, Diane Lane, Olivier Martinez, Erik Per Sullivan, Myra Taylor Directed by: Adrian Lyne Unfaithful Rating:  
E-MAIL GINO PAGLIUCA The story of a chance encounter between a beautiful older woman (Lane) and a sexy stranger (Martinez) that leads to a smoldering love affair is but the superficial layer in this tale. To truly appreciate this movie I had to accept this film for what it was and not for what else I wanted it to be, and for that reason I am very satisfied having seen it. First off, full attention should be given to Diane Lane, for not only carrying this film, but rather because she does in fact give an outstanding powerful performance. Her performance speaks volumes about her character. There are no scenes where we see her character confide in anyone, be it in the movie or with the audience, and yet you can see the unsatisfied woman she is becoming subtly expressed on her face and in her manners. She is of course actually a beautiful woman, which serves her character and this story all the better. At first the film goes through the motions, playing out the standard elements of a tale of infidelity. In this case we have a view to the Sumner family’s present day situation in their now 11 year old marriage. The couple Connie (Lane) and Edward (Gere), are happily married as they raise their child away from the city in the suburbs. One windy day in New York, while attempting to flag a taxi cab, Connie is blown to the ground and lands atop a handsome French stranger. As faith would have it the incident takes place right in front of his apartment and so she accepts his offer to come up to his place to fix her scraped knee. His name is Pierre (Martinez), a book collector who is house-sitting for one the owner of this huge apartment. He fixes Connie a cup a coffee and before she leaves directs her to a specific location on one of the many bookshelves to retrieve a book he will give to her. This moment ultimately puts the wheels of this story in motion. The film is given an edge by its perfect cast. Olivier Martinez is slick and suave yet maintains an air of intelligence, which is perhaps what makes him so believably irresistible. Richard Gere, manages to come through as a man that is slowly beginning to suspect his wife’s affair. Certainly had it not been for these actors the movie would not have worked so well. An unexpected twist that comes half way in the film would usually have caused my eyes to roll, but surely enough I was shocked. These characters had nicely developed scenes, enough so to understand what they are going through. Now don’t get me wrong, I did have some problems with this film as it does at times feature silly coincidences, and perhaps even a few too many clichés, such as the coffee shop scene where Connie is coincidentally given incite on why love affairs end in disaster. There were a few more moments such as this, but again it was not the biggest deal, simply a pet peeve. Adrian Lyne certainly loves directing stories that leave the audience talking long after the credits, and I for one am thankful for that. She has in the past delivered to that result with “Fatal Attraction” and “Indecent Proposal”. I can’t say that this film is as good as those, but certainly will fuel discussions of its own. I too took part in dissecting certain parts of this relationship with my girlfriend upon exiting the theatre, and for moments afterward. Be sure that that was not the last discussion I will have in regards to having seen this movie. From its symbolic “winds of change come blowing in” beginning, through it’s beautifully shot and steamy love affair, right back to the paranoid relationship of its central characters, “Unfaithful” keeps you watching. You definitely need to sit back during this one, being that it is one of those movies that almost demands you shift in your seat while you ponder how or why these characters are behaving the way they are. Still, it had enough charm and intrigue to keep me entertained and involved the whole way through, and thinking and talking about it long after it was over. Looking forward to Diane Lane’s next. Click here to comment on this review or post your own thoughts. Gino Pagliuca © TheWorldJournal.com |
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