*** Official "UNFAITHFUL" Review Thread (1 Viewer)

[Robert Crawford]

This thread is now the Official Review Thread for "Unfaithful". Please post all HTF member reviews in this thread.
Any other comments, links to other reviews, or discussion items will be deleted from this thread without warning!
If you need to discuss those type of issues then I have designated an Official Discussion Thread.
Crawdaddy

 

[Rickhard Copley]

UNFAITHFUL - Brilliant filmmaking

I went to see this with friends last night and it was really, really good.

It was entertaining, engrossing, gripping and enjoyable. The dialogue could've been a bit better,but everything else was near perfect.

Diane Lane is gonna be a big star after this. Her performance is a powerhouse performance of Academy Award calibre. Not only her acting, but wow! She partakes in several of the best sex scenes (I mean artfully done) I've ever seen. I'm talking doggy style, I'm talking S&M, I'm talking an alleyway scene with Lane wearing nothing but a long mac and high heeled groin high boots, I'm talking oral in a cinema. She is simply superb throughout the film!

Scintilating and a very good thriller. I loved it (despite Richard Gere - who did a surprisingly good job aswell).

Highly recommended!

 

[Patrick Sun]

Not really a great film, simply an okay film. Besides the sex scenes, you've probably seen something similar on the Oxygen channel many times over. Something was off-kilter about the whole film, the character of the husband (Gere) was under-written, I never got the vibe that the wife (Lane) was so disenchanted with her marriage to veer into such a relationship that seemed to re-kindle her fire. The film as whole was on simmer, rarely approaching a boiling point in the film to impart urgency due to the characters' actions.

I give it a grade of C+ or 2.5 stars.

 

[Elizabeth S]

While “Unfaithful” is being promoted with all types of blurbs stressing its “sexiness”, the film has a surprising amount of subtlety and depth. It’s unlikely to become a cultural phenomenon like director Adrian Lyne’s earlier “Fatal Attraction”, but it certainly touches some issues which may hit close to home for many viewers.

Diane Lane and Richard Gere are Connie and Edward Sumner, a seemingly happy couple living with their young son in the New York suburbs. The movie immediately establishes a familiar, comfortable rapport between the spouses, almost a bit warmer than one might expect after 11 years of marriage.

On a particularly blustery day, a package-laden Connie stumbles right into book dealer Paul Martel and temptation. Immediately charming her with his easygoing manner and French accent, he invites her up to his apartment to care for her scraped knees. The undercurrent of attraction is undeniable, but Connie dutifully excuses herself after accepting a book as a gift. Regarding the encounter as purely innocent, Connie casually tells Edward of the guy who luckily helped her when she fell down like an “old woman”. “Was he good looking?”, Edward jokes back.

Inexplicably unable to get Paul out of her mind, Connie surprises herself by contacting him again. Diane Lane is excellent here, as you see anticipation, excitement, and uncertainly cross her face as she wrestles with her desire to call him. Although very tentative at first, Connie soon finds herself consumed in a passionate and playful affair with this younger man. Edward immediately senses something different about Connie, and takes steps to uncover the truth.

What is most striking about the film is that it often chooses subtlety over grandiose dramatics. One of the best scenes involves Connie riding the train home after her first sexual encounter with Paul – as she flashes back on the afternoon, she simultaneously smiles and cries, relishing her new infatuation while her heart breaks over her infidelity. It’s a very fine line Diane Lane treads in this film – she somehow manages to convince us of her love for Edward, while making us empathize with her desire for Paul. Richard Gere gives one of his best performances, quietly heartbreaking in its understatement.

Some viewers might be disappointed with the film’s restraint, but the film engrosses with its believable, human portrait of the intricacies and intimacies between a couple. Without the “thriller”plot elements or sex scenes deemed essential for a Lyne film, a strong drama would still remain. Despite an unnecessary “suspense” sequence and a somewhat awkward conclusion, the performances alone make this worthwhile.

Overall Grade: B

 

[Martin Jeeves]

I thought this was awesome. It's certainly deserving all the rave reviews it's getting. I noticed quite a few of the reviews and articles are already saying Diane Lane could be Oscar Nominated for her astounding performance. Great movie. Sexy, intelligent and cool, I'm gonna go again.

 

[Martin Jeeves]

AWESOME FILM. DIANE LANE FOR AN OSCAR IMHO.

 

[Wes C]

GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!!
Its not just a dumb a Fatal Attraction, and its not In the Bedroom. If you liked those movies, you will like this, but, if you didnt you can still LOVE this movie. This film was not what I expected it to be. Do yourself a favor, avoid the Star Wars lines and just see this!
:star: :star: :star: :star: :star: of 5
--I second Lane for Best Actress

 

[Rickhard Copley]

I could not agree more. I thought "Unfaithful" is one of the best crafted thrillers I have ever seen I have seen it a number of times now and it doesn't lose it's impact. Stunning filmmaking and I can't wait for the DVD.