A
Masterful & Erotic Film About the Fragility of
Marriage and the Natural Tendency Toward
Infidelity, Regardless of Class or Sex or Level
of Happiness.
This
is a great film! Reminiscent of the classic Luis
Bunuel film 'Belle de Jour', 'Unfaithful' is a
mature, intelligent, erotic, exciting, sad and
honest story of a seemingly happy marriage.
Diane Lane is as courageous as any actress has
been in a long time.
There is an unsentimental, sad & thoughtful tone
from the very first scene. The opening shots of
the 'American Dream' house, an empty boat and a
quiet suburban neighborhood on a cold misty
morning are the perfect mood-setters. I have
heard it said that a great film can be enjoyed
with the sound off or without the picture...
unfortunately it seems that many films today
would best be enjoyed without either!
'Unfaithful' is one of the films that has
fantastic visuals and superlative dialogue and
music. Lyne hasn't missed a step and should be
remembered when next year's award season rolls
around.
The
acting is absolutely amazing. Richard Gere
hasn't been this powerful in a long time...
maybe ever! He is an innocent husband drawn into
a horrible scenario and the range that Gere
shows surprised the heck out of me. I had always
considered him a very good actor... but this
role is much better than very good.
However, the success of the film can primarily
be attributed to one person. Diane Lane is as
courageous as any actress has been in a long
time. Her work here reminded me of Catherine
Deneuve in Belle de Jour. Lane has to be
vulnerable, sexy, slutty, sad, guilty, angry,
scared, and regretful, all the while being
sympathetic to the viewer... she handles all of
those emotions with incredible accuracy.
Consider the scene on the train when she recalls
her first liaison with her lover. We cut back
and forth with the actual encounter and it is
one of the most erotic and powerful scenes in
years. Lane's acting is the key here... she
treads the line between laughter and 'guilty
tears' so well. That scene reminded me of one of
the most memorable love scenes in film history
which took place in 1973's "Don't Look Now" with
Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie.
Olivier Martinez is a relative newcomer as the
French lover. He handles every scene well,
especially the one when he meets the husband for
the first time. He goes toe to toe with Gere in
a very awkward and emotionally jarring scene.
The
editing and shot selection is quite
extraordinary. This film drips of sex from
credits to credits. Consider the starkly
contrasting images of a nine year old boy
waiting on the steps of his school for his mommy
to pick him up, followed immediately by a shot
of that freshly ravaged mommy laying asleep on
her lover's torso.
This
is a very brave film... it doesn't shirk the
moral conflicts that we are unused to seeing so
vividly. Consider the inter-cutting scene where
Connie puts on her sexy new bra and dress while
Edward fiddles with his wardrobe in a lonely
hotel room. This is superior filmmaking in every
way.
This is assuredly one of the finest films of the
year. It is mature in its examination of a
seemingly happy marriage... I cannot recommend
this film more. Adults, especially couples, who
want to see something other than the mindless
kiddy flicks in theatres right now, would do
well to see 'Unfaithful'... you will talk about
it for days, maybe weeks after.
The brilliance of this film is that it gives us
no reason whatsoever why she would cheat on her
husband, risking her family and her life as she
knows it... And if we are honest with ourselves
as viewers, we never question it for a moment.
We all know why people cheat on each other... we
just don't like to admit it.
I found it a beautiful touch that when Edward,
through photographic evidence, finds out for
sure that Connie has been cheating, his first
question is... 'They go to the movies?' That
betrayal seems to hurt more than the sexual
infidelity itself!
©
Written by TC Candler
Richard
Propes' Comment
I need to
revisit this film. I saw "Unfaithful" shortly
after coming out of a bad relationship and the
timing was, perhaps, a bit too challenging for
me. As I'm sitting here reading TC's review
again, I am reminded of the many ways this film
touched me. I have a feeling I may raise my
grade here upon a second viewing.
Jacob
Hall's Comment
n/a
