Barnes & Noble

The sometimes-tragic consequences of marital infidelity are effectively portrayed in this well-acted domestic drama, which represents a triumph not only for director Adrian Lyne (Fatal Attraction) but also for stars Richard Gere and Diane Lane. These veteran stars, whose early forays in film were distinguished at least partially by youthful exuberance and sizzling sexuality, appear as thoughtful, mature people whose lives are irremediably altered by what begins as a casual indiscretion. At first glance, Connie Sumner (Lane) seems perfectly happy: Her husband, Edward (Gere), is a capable provider and a devoted father to their eight-year-old son. She lives comfortably in an affluent suburb and finds fulfillment in charity work. But a chance encounter with a young, charismatic book dealer (Oliver Martinez) blossoms into a passionate affair that threatens to destroy her marriage. Fatal Attraction director Lyne, obviously fascinated by this subject matter, juggles Unfaithful’s plot points with admirable dexterity. He doesn’t minimize Lane’s steamy sex scenes, but the erotic interludes aren’t played for overt titillation, and they are shown to have devastating repercussions. Gere tackles his role with uncharacteristic restraint, which helps keeps the film anchored in reality; both he and Lane are superb. Fine acting and incisive direction make this one of Lyne’s best efforts, and once seen it will linger in memory for a very long time. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Diane Lane is a wayward wife and Richard Gere is her suspicious husband in Adrian Lyne's Unfaithful. Connie (Lane) leaves her suburban home on an errand, venturing into Manhattan during a wicked windstorm. On a trash-strewn Soho street, she literally runs into Paul Martel (Olivier Martinez), a handsome young Frenchman carrying a huge stack of books. Connie has a bad scrape on her knee, and is unable to get a cab, so Paul invites her up to his apartment. Paul is quietly flirtatious as he gives Connie some ice and a bandage for her knee. Connie phones home and explains to her son, Charlie (Erik Per Sullivan), that she's running late. Before she leaves, Paul gives her a book of Persian poetry, The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. She mentions the encounter in passing to Edward (Gere), her husband, but it's clear that she's obsessing about Paul, and soon she's back in the city, with a pretext for calling him up. Soon, they are lovers, and they grow bolder and bolder in their passion. Edward begins to suspect, and eventually gets a private investigator (Dominic Chianese of The Sopranos) to follow Connie. His worst fears confirmed, Edward decides to confront Paul, a decision that will come to haunt him. While the screenplay for Unfaithful is credited to Alvin Sargent (Ordinary People) and William Broyles Jr. (Cast Away), the inspiration for Lyne's film came from Claude Chabrol's acclaimed 1969 film La Femme Infidele. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Entertainment Weekly

Not since the underrated What Lies Beneath has a domestic thriller been made with so much sultry juice and power. Owen Gleiberman

Chicago Sun-Times

Instead of pumping up the plot with recycled manufactured thrills, it's content to contemplate two reasonably sane adults who get themselves into an almost insoluble dilemma. Roger Ebert

New York Observer

Flawed but fascinating, and the performance by Diane Lane nothing short of miraculous. Rex Reed

Product Details

• UPC: 024543058946
• Source: 20TH CENTURY FOX
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English, Français, Español
• Subtitles: English, Español
• Time: 2:04:00
• Sales Rank: 24,517

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Good Thief / Unfaithful

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