DVD Review: Unfaithful (B)

Unfaithful (2002)
Directed by Adrian Lyne
Starring Richard Gere, Diane Lane and Olivier Martinez
MPAA: R
Grade: B

Review by Scott Standish

Adrian Lyne's latest thriller Unfaithful is based on Claude Chabrols 1969 film Unfaithful Wife. Here's the set up: Richard Gere and Diane Lane play Charlie and Connie Sumner, the modern day "perfect couple" that you see in all of those cheesy wine ads on TV. They have a charming young son and a beautiful house not far from New York City.

On a day trip into the city, Connie meets and falls for the young French book dealer Paul Martel. She finds herself intoxicated by the intensity of this affair and yet she still loves her husband and her idyllic family life. Something has to give.

Adrian Lyne is the king of stylized dramas and this entertaining film just adds to his legacy (Fatal Attraction, Jacob's Ladder and yes, Flashdance). A former director of commercials, Lyne loves to deconstruct the character's actions into tiny close-ups that when spliced together, make them appear all the more dramatic. Simple things like cutting a tomato becomes magnified for its impact. A doorknob turning becomes a major event. He can make these tiny details appear sexy, scary, or even mysterious, but these enhancements always add to the complexity of the character's texture.

Unfaithful has a great look (as all Adrian Lyne films do), some fantastic performances by Lane and Gere, and a nice pacing to it. The motivations behind the characters are hinted at, not flaunted in front of the audience, which is a really nice touch. I have heard rumblings of a potential Oscar nomination for Lane here, and that would not be out of line.

Unfaithful is a very good drama from a director that seems to be hitting on all cylinders. Although it doesn't break any new ground, it certainly will keep you entertained from start to finish.

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