Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes
Trouble logging in?
By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .
By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .
By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.
Email not verified
Let's keep in touch.
Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:
- Upcoming Movies and TV shows
- Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
- Media News + More
By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.
OK, got it!
Movies / TV
No results found.
- What's the Tomatometer®?
- Login/signup
Movies in theaters
- Opening this week
- Top box office
- Coming soon to theaters
- Certified fresh movies
Movies at home
- Fandango at Home
- Netflix streaming
- Prime Video
- Most popular streaming movies
- What to Watch New
Certified fresh picks
- Challengers Link to Challengers
- I Saw the TV Glow Link to I Saw the TV Glow
- Música Link to Música
New TV Tonight
- Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1
- The Jinx: Season 2
- The Big Door Prize: Season 2
- Them: Season 2
- Knuckles: Season 1
- Velma: Season 2
- Secrets of the Octopus: Season 1
- Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story: Season 1
- We're Here: Season 4
Most Popular TV on RT
- Baby Reindeer: Season 1
- Fallout: Season 1
- Shōgun: Season 1
- Ripley: Season 1
- Under the Bridge: Season 1
- 3 Body Problem: Season 1
- We Were the Lucky Ones: Season 1
- Best TV Shows
- Most Popular TV
- TV & Streaming News
Certified fresh pick
- Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1 Link to Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1
- All-Time Lists
- Binge Guide
- Comics on TV
- Five Favorite Films
- Video Interviews
- Weekend Box Office
- Weekly Ketchup
- What to Watch
All Zendaya Movies Ranked by Tomatometer
Video Game TV Shows Ranked by Tomatometer
What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming
Awards Tour
The Most Anticipated Movies of 2024
Poll: Most Anticipated Movies of May 2024
- Trending on RT
- Marvel Movies In Order
- Seen on Screen
- Most Anticipated Movies of May
- Play Movie Trivia
Where to Watch
Watch Unfaithful with a subscription on Hulu, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.
What to Know
Diane Lane shines in the role, but the movie adds nothing new to the genre and the resolution is unsatisfying.
Audience Reviews
Cast & crew.
Adrian Lyne
Richard Gere
Olivier Martinez
Paul Martel
Erik Per Sullivan
Željko Ivanek
Detective Dean
More Like This
Movie news & guides, this movie is featured in the following articles., critics reviews.
Movie Reviews
Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors.
Now streaming on:
The heart has its reasons, said the French philosopher Pascal, quoted by the American philosopher Woody Allen . It is a useful insight when no other reasons seem apparent. Connie Sumner's heart and other organs have their reasons for straying outside a happy marriage in "Unfaithful,'' but the movie doesn't say what they are. This is not necessarily a bad thing, sparing us tortured Freudian explanations and labored plot points. It is almost always more interesting to observe behavior than to listen to reasons.
Connie ( Diane Lane ) and her husband, Edward ( Richard Gere ), live with their 9-year-old son, Charlie ( Erik Per Sullivan ), in one of those Westchester County houses that has a room for every mood. They are happy together, or at least the movie supplies us with no reasons why they are unhappy. One windy day she drives into New York City, is literally blown down on top of a rare book dealer named Paul Martel ( Olivier Martinez ), and is invited upstairs for Band-Aids and a cup of tea. He occupies a large flat filled with shelves of books and art objects.
Martel is your average Calvin Klein model as a bibliophile. He has the Spanish looks, the French accent, the permanent three-day beard, and the strength to suspend a woman indefinitely in any position while making love. He is also cool in his seduction methods. Instead of making a crude pass, he asks her to accept a book as a gift from him, and directs her down an aisle to the last book on the end of the second shelf from the top, where he tells her what page to turn to, and then joins her in reciting the words there: Be happy for this moment, for this moment is your life.
Does it occur to Connie that Martel planted that book for just such an occasion as this? No, because she likes to be treated in such a way, and soon she's on the phone with a transparent ruse to get up to his apartment again, where Martel overcomes her temporary stall in bed by commanding her: Hit me! That breaks the logjam, and soon they're involved in a passionate affair that involves arduous sex in his apartment and quick sex in restrooms, movie theaters and corridors. (The movie they go to see is Tati's "Monsieur Hulot's Holiday'' which, despite its stature on my list of The Great Movies, fails to compete with furtive experiments that would no doubt have Hulot puffing furiously at his pipe.) Edward senses that something is wrong. There are clues, but mostly he picks up on her mood, and eventually hires a man to shadow her.
Discovering where Martel lives, he visits there one day, and what happens then I will not reveal. What does not happen then, I am happy to reveal, is that the movie doesn't turn into a standard thriller in which death stalks Westchester County and the wife and husband fear murder by each other, or by Martel.
That's what's intriguing about the film: 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.
"Unfaithful" contains, as all movies involving suburban families are required to contain, a scene where the parents sit proudly in the audience while their child performs bravely in a school play. But there are no detectives lurking in the shadows to arrest them, and no killers skulking in the parking lot with knives or tire-irons. No, the meaning of the scene is simply, movingly, that these two people in desperate trouble are nevertheless able to smile at their son on the stage.
The movie was directed by Adrian Lyne , best known for higher-voltage films like " Fatal Attraction " and "Indecent Proposal.'' This film is based on "La Femme Infidele" (1969) by Claude Chabrol , which itself is an update of Madame Bovary. Lyne's film is juicier and more passionate than Chabrol's, but both share the fairly daring idea of showing a plot that is entirely about illicit passion and its consequences in a happy marriage. Although cops turn up from time to time in "Unfaithful," this is not a crime story, but a marital tragedy. Richard Gere and Diane Lane are well-suited to the roles, exuding a kind of serene materialism that seems happily settled in suburbia. It is all the more shocking when Lane revisits Martel's apartment because there is no suggestion that she is unhappy with Gere, starved for sex, or especially impulsive. She goes back up there because--well, because she wants to. He's quite a guy. On one visit he shows her The Joy of Cooking in Braille. And then his fingers brush hers as if he's reading The Joy of Sex on her skin.
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.
Now playing
Christy Lemire
The Long Game
Simon Abrams
Remembering Gene Wilder
Matt zoller seitz.
Marya E. Gates
In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon
Clint worthington, film credits.
Unfaithful (2002)
Rated R For Sexuality, Partial Nudity, Language and A Scene Of Violence
123 minutes
Diane Lane as Connie Sumner
Richard Gere as Edward Sumner
Olivier Martinez as Paul Martel
Erik Per Sullivan as Charlie Sumner
Directed by
- Adrian Lyne
- Alvin Sargent
- William Broyles Jr
Based on the film by
- Claude Chabrol
Latest blog posts
Speed Kills: On the 25th Anniversary of Go
Joanna Arnow Made Her BDSM Comedy for You
The Movies That Underwent Major Changes After Their Festival Premiere
Netflix's Dead Boy Detectives Is A Spinoff Stuck In Limbo
Unfaithful (2002)
- User Reviews
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
- User Ratings
- External Reviews
- Metacritic Reviews
- Full Cast and Crew
- Release Dates
- Official Sites
- Company Credits
- Filming & Production
- Technical Specs
- Plot Summary
- Plot Keywords
- Parents Guide
Did You Know?
- Crazy Credits
- Alternate Versions
- Connections
- Soundtracks
Photo & Video
- Photo Gallery
- Trailers and Videos
Related Items
- External Sites
Related lists from IMDb users
Recently Viewed
Skip to main content
- Life & style
- Environment
Common Sense Media
Movie & TV reviews for parents
- For Parents
- For Educators
- Our Work and Impact
Or browse by category:
- Get the app
- Movie Reviews
- Best Movie Lists
- Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More
Common Sense Selections for Movies
50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12
- Best TV Lists
- Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
- Common Sense Selections for TV
- Video Reviews of TV Shows
Best Kids' Shows on Disney+
Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix
- Book Reviews
- Best Book Lists
- Common Sense Selections for Books
8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books
50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12
- Game Reviews
- Best Game Lists
Common Sense Selections for Games
- Video Reviews of Games
Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun
- Podcast Reviews
- Best Podcast Lists
Common Sense Selections for Podcasts
Parents' Guide to Podcasts
- App Reviews
- Best App Lists
Social Networking for Teens
Gun-Free Action Game Apps
Reviews for AI Apps and Tools
- YouTube Channel Reviews
- YouTube Kids Channels by Topic
Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids
YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers
- Preschoolers (2-4)
- Little Kids (5-7)
- Big Kids (8-9)
- Pre-Teens (10-12)
- Teens (13+)
- Screen Time
- Social Media
- Online Safety
- Identity and Community
Explaining the News to Our Kids
- Family Tech Planners
- Digital Skills
- All Articles
- Latino Culture
- Black Voices
- Asian Stories
- Native Narratives
- LGBTQ+ Pride
- Best of Diverse Representation List
Celebrating Black History Month
Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads
Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary
Common sense media reviewers.
Not for kids, but some adults will like it.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
One graphic violent confrontation.
Intense and graphic sex scenes; adultery.
Strong language.
Drinking and smoking.
Parents need to know that this movie contains a number of elements that may be upsetting to children. The theme of infidelity runs through the movie, and it creates some tense scenes of home life. Connie's seduction is quite overwhelming, and the sex scenes are intense and graphic. There is also one pretty violent…
Violence & Scariness
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Sex, Romance & Nudity
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this movie contains a number of elements that may be upsetting to children. The theme of infidelity runs through the movie, and it creates some tense scenes of home life. Connie's seduction is quite overwhelming, and the sex scenes are intense and graphic. There is also one pretty violent scene. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .
Where to Watch
Videos and photos.
Community Reviews
- Parents say (4)
- Kids say (1)
Based on 4 parent reviews
Excellent. But NOT for kids.
Glorified porn movie is all this one is, what's the story.
Based on Claude Chabrol's La Femme Infidel , this story of obsession, betrayal, and jealousy centers on happily married Edward ( Richard Gere ) and Connie ( Diane Lane , who seem to have everything until the wife is drawn into an affair. After a chance encounter with Paul (Oliver Martinez), Connie finds she can't stay away from the seductive Frenchman. At home, Edward knows something is wrong. As his wife primps in private and shies away from his advances, his suspicions mount. Finally, after Connie is spotted in a restaurant with Paul, he cannot avoid the truth. A private detective produces all the details, and Edward goes, broken-hearted, to the apartment of his rival.
Is It Any Good?
Adults may consider Unfaithful a worthwhile portrayal of emotional suspense, told with director Adrian Lyne's characteristic visual flair. But it's not for kids -- it's a shocker. None of the plot elements are novel, but the seduction is handled very smoothly, without a lot of the emotional short-hand that would leave the story hollow. In fact, the strength of this film is its very down to earth emotional perceptiveness.
The movie makes us constantly aware of the currents of affection that run between the characters, yet the best scene in the film is the confrontation. Neither knows exactly what to do, and it's in this strange emotional limbo that a tragic choice is made.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the title. The film is symmetrical -- the wife is unfaithful in the first half, the husband in the second. To whom is the husband unfaithful? What "happens" in their final conversation? What is forgivable?
Movie Details
- In theaters : May 10, 2002
- On DVD or streaming : May 20, 2003
- Cast : Diane Lane , Olivier Martinez , Richard Gere
- Director : Adrian Lyne
- Inclusion Information : Female actors
- Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 124 minutes
- MPAA rating : R
- MPAA explanation : sexuality, language, and violence
- Last updated : July 25, 2023
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Our editors recommend.
Match Point
Rear Window
Double Indemnity
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
- Tickets & Showtimes
- Trending on RT
Unfaithful – Diane Lane and Olivier Martinez
Movie & TV News
Featured on rt.
All Zendaya Movies Ranked by Tomatometer
April 26, 2024
Video Game TV Shows Ranked by Tomatometer
The Most Anticipated Movies of 2024
All Marvel Movies Ranked: See MCU Movies By Tomatometer
Top Headlines
- All Zendaya Movies Ranked by Tomatometer –
- Video Game TV Shows Ranked by Tomatometer –
- All Alien Movies Ranked –
- All Marvel Movies Ranked: See MCU Movies By Tomatometer –
- DC Animated Movies In Order: How to Watch 54 Original and Universe Films –
- The Best TV Seasons Certified Fresh at 100% –
When you purchase through Movies Anywhere , we bring your favorite movies from your connected digital retailers together into one synced collection. Join Now
Unfaithful | Full Movie | Movies Anywhere
- See Retailers
Rotten Tomatoes® Score
A dark, delusional piece of sultry fantasia that doesn’t condemn or condone Connie or Ed’s choices. It simply presents people surprised by the ease with which they transgress and allow little white lies to fester into gigantic, tumorous deceptions.
Diane Lane anchors the movie: she plays real and she looks real, with just enough lines and hints of wrinkles; a beautiful woman who's been distracted by too many school runs and charity committees.
A film at once romantic and sensual and agonizing.
...an erratically-paced and distinctly overlong drama that nevertheless manages to pack a punch here and there...
This is a great movie, and so many of the things being written about it are just plain FACTUALLY wrong.
Not for kids, but some adults will like it.
Works precisely because it is so upsetting, unusually so for a studio film, and so empathetic for Connie at the hands of her attractive manipulator. [Blu-ray]
Unfaithful is not so much about the conventions of a typical bored housewife falls for exotic foreigner with disastrous results story, but in fact plumbs the depths of what really constitutes intimacy, and how complacency, rather than the melodramatic ups
[Diane Lane] is more than enough reason to see "Unfaithful."
Additional Info
- Genre : Drama, Thriller
- Release Date : May 8, 2002
- Languages : English
- Captions : English, Spanish
- Audio Format : 5.1
You Might Also Like...
New Releases
Unfaithful 2002
- Upload poster
Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes
Bruce Newman, San Jose Mercury News : After posing a moral dilemma worthy of serious consideration, [Lyne] resorts to genre solutions. That worked in Fatal Attraction, which resolved itself as a horror film, but it doesn't work here. Read more
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe : An awesomely superficial, thoroughly bland, psychologically bankrupt rehash of [Lyne's] greatest hits. Read more
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press : Diane Lane's performance in Unfaithful is so good we can only wish it were in a movie that deserved it. Read more
Connie Ogle, Miami Herald : Despite solid performances, you never get a real feel for any of the characters, which makes it hard to care what happens to them. Read more
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper : Diane Lane is magnificent in this movie. Read more
Susan Stark, Detroit News : Diane Lane works nothing short of a minor miracle in Unfaithful. Read more
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune : A movie about sexuality that really throbs with eroticism. Read more
Stephen Holden, New York Times : As the movie darkens and becomes a desperate and not always convincing tale of crime and cover-up, Unfaithful takes Mr. Lyne into areas where he has never gone. Read more
John Anderson, Newsday : Looking for a laugh? Unfaithful, a study of adultery, murder, guilt and unresolved endings, provides more than a few. Read more
Ted Fry, Seattle Times : French actor Martinez gives Paul the kind of carefree arrogance Gere had in similar roles 20 years ago. He and Lane sizzle in their sultry scenes of afternoon delight. Read more
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle : Unfaithful says some true things about marriage, true enough that men will be looking askance at their wives for days after seeing it. Read more
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution : May not make you feel, but certainly makes you think. Read more
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times : Though it is difficult to take Unfaithful as seriously as it takes itself, on its own terms it's quite well done. Read more
Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle : An adult film about the hard choices adults have to make. Read more
Paul Tatara, CNN.com : The audience when I saw this one was chuckling at all the wrong times, and that's a bad sign when they're supposed to be having a collective heart attack. Read more
Steven Rosen, Denver Post : The uncommonly good screenplay by Alvin Sargent and William Broyles Jr., keeps you undecided, even tormented, about whom to empathize with and why. Read more
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly : Not since the underrated What Lies Beneath has a domestic thriller been made with so much sultry juice and power. Read more
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail : Lyne commits the dramatist's unpardonable sin -- ultimately, he proves unfaithful to his own premise. Read more
Philip Wuntch, Dallas Morning News : Diane Lane shines in Unfaithful. Almost everything else is wan. Read more
Manohla Dargis, L.A. Weekly : What's curious about Unfaithful is just how little it pops. Read more
David Ansen, Newsweek : Read more
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine/Vulture : A glossy, depthless melodrama. Read more
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer : Escapism in its purest form. Read more
Rex Reed, New York Observer : Flawed but fascinating, and the performance by Diane Lane nothing short of miraculous. Read more
James Berardinelli, ReelViews : After the plot's big turning point, the movie loses its focus and can't decide whether it wants to be a melodrama or a crime thriller. Read more
Roger Ebert, 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. Read more
Charles Taylor, Salon.com : Diane Lane's sophisticated performance can't rescue Adrian Lyne's Unfaithful from its sleazy moralizing. Read more
St. Louis Post-Dispatch : Read more
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star : Plays like something that's been cryogenically preserved since the AIDS-hysteria heyday of about 1987. Read more
Geoff Andrew, Time Out : Read more
Mike Clark, USA Today : Even if you didn't know Lyne directed Fatal Attraction, you would sit through this always-solemn movie fearing the outcome. Read more
Todd McCarthy, Variety : Read more
Jessica Winter, Village Voice : The vintage is pure '87, with a halfhearted twist on its cautionary message: Fatal Attraction = don't have an affair with a nutjob; Unfaithful = don't if you're married to one. Read more
When Edward innocently learns that his wife Connie has lied to him about an affair, suspicion propels him to uncover the devastating details of her infidelity. Tormented by the knowledge, he confronts her lover, only to discover a level of rage within himself that he could never have imagined.
An extramarital love affairs ignites a chain of shocking events in Adrian Lyne’s sizzling erotic thriller, starring Diane Lane and Richard Gere. Disrupting suburban ennui with carnal desires, Unfaithful brilliantly unsettles the foundations of a typical American family with style—and plenty of sex.
Diane Lane stars as a New York suburban wife whose marriage to her loving husband (Richard Gere) enters dangerous territory when she enters a heated affair with another man. From the director of Fatal Attraction and Indecent Proposal .
Where to watch Unfaithful
Times & tickets.
Apple TV Store
Or, search for your location...
- Nope didn’t find anything. Try again.
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Northamptonshire
- Nottinghamshire
- Bedfordshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Hertfordshire
- Isle of Man
- London Central
- London East
- London North
- London North West
- London South East
- London South West
- London West
- Outer London - North
- Outer London - North East
- Outer London - South
- Outer London - West
- County Durham
- Northumberland
- Tyne and Wear
- Londonderry
- Aberdeenshire
- Ayrshire and Arran
- Central Scotland
- Dumfries and Galloway
- Dunbartonshire and Argyll & Bute
- Edinburgh & Lothians
- Highlands and Islands
- Lanarkshire
- Renfrewshire
- Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale
- Buckinghamshire
- East Sussex
- Isle of Wight
- Oxfordshire
- West Sussex
- Gloucestershire
- Herefordshire
- Staffordshire
- Warwickshire
- Worcestershire
- East Yorkshire
- North Yorkshire
- South Yorkshire
- West Yorkshire
Unfaithful | Ratings & Reviews
Rotten tomatoes® rating, audience score rating.
"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."
"Adrian Lyne takes an uncharacteristically cool approach to adultery in "Unfaithful," a precision-tooled, moody study in the wages of betrayal."
"Lane is a force of nature. Her slow-burning, fiercely erotic performance charges the movie."
"Sensational sex-and-its-consequences melodrama."
Unfaithful | Details
Big on Streaming
Dune: Part Two
Baby Reindeer: Limited Series
Rebel Moon: Part Two - The Scargiver
Fallout: Season 1
FEUD: Capote vs. the Swans
The Zone of Interest
The Regime: Miniseries
Franklin: Limited Series
Ripley: Limited Series
Road House (2024)
Search suggestions
- Movies in Cinemas
- Movies & Shows Streaming
- Coming Soon
- News & Opinion
Get to your watchlist.
- sign in with Facebook
- sign in with Google
- sign in with Apple
Or sign in with your email
Don’t have a Flicks account? Sign Up.
I forgot my damn password.
Keep track of the movies and show you want to see + get Flicks email updates.
- sign up with Facebook
- sign up with Google
- sign up with Apple
Or sign up with your email
By signing up, you agree to our terms & conditions and privacy policy .
Already have a Flicks account? Sign in
Password reset
Don’t have a Flicks account? Sign Up
Remembered your password? Sign In
To post ratings/reviews we need a username. This is what will appear next to your ratings and reviews.
I don't know, create one for me
SORRY TO SAY, FLICKS NO LONGER SUPPORTS IE9
Please update to Microsoft Edge , or another browser.
Or, if you want to stick it out with Internet Explorer, please update your browser to the latest version ( IE 11 )
Search Reeling Reviews
Connie Sumner (Diane Lane, "Hardball") is living a perfect life with her handsome, attentive husband Edward (Richard Gere) and young son in an affluent New York City suburb. After a chance encounter with a mysterious Frenchman (Olivier Martinez, "Before Night Falls"), though, Connie is lured into a passionate affair. One of her lies makes Edward suspicious and he's shocked at the magnitude of his rage when he discovers that Connie is "Unfaithful."
Laura's Review: A-
Director Adrian Lyne ("Fatal Attraction") once again explores marital fidelity, but with the more artistic and insightful flair he brought to "Lolita." Loosely based on one of his favorite films, Claude Chabrol's "La Femme Infidele," Lyne's "Unfaithful" is a stylish reflection on passion, guilt and marriage.
Connie and Ed have one of those comfortable, still somewhat sexy marriages that has become focused on its offspring, in this case 8 year old Charlie (Erik Per Sullivan, "Wendigo"). The Sumners live in a big, white, sprawling White Plains farmhouse (a twin to the home in "What Lies Beneath"). He commutes into the city to run his armored car firm. She does too, occasionally, as she dabbles in volunteer fundraising activities. One extremely windy day, Connie's in the city buying supplies for Charlie's birthday party when she literally bumps into and tumbles with a stranger. Paul Martel (Olivier Martinez, "Before Night Falls") is a beguiling younger Frenchman who lures Connie up to his Soho loft to attend to her wounded knee. She flees the first time, but his magnetism keeps drawing her back.
As evidence of Connie's affair mounts, Ed decides to have her followed. With his suspicions confirmed, he decides to confront his wife's lover, but to his horror finds he must confront something far more unsettling within himself.
While Alvin Sargent ("Spider-Man") and William Broyles Jr.'s ("Cast Away") screenplay does not provide any back story for Connie and Ed, Lane and Gere's performances establish the two as individuals and as a marriage. Lane is an affectionate and satisfied housewife who finds a part of herself she'd forgotten at the touch of a mysterious and dangerous stranger. Returning home on the train, Lane's Connie recalls her first time with Paul. Lane's face tells the story as she shows arousal, incredulity and finally shame at her actions. Gere is serene and contented before becoming increasingly troubled and watchful. He becomes unhinged quietly, revealing a desperate need for his wife that rekindles their passion, tinged now with guilt on either side. The two former "Cotton Club" costars share great chemistry, communicating without words.
Martinez amply fills the bill as the reckless romantic used to getting his way with women. His shaggy charm is a convincing temptation. His dark almond eyes are similar to Gere's, too, which make him all the more interesting a choice for Connie's dalliance. Kate Burton ("Celebrity") and Margaret Colin ("The Devil's Own") make strong impressions in one amusing scene where they unwittingly interrupt Connie's assignation with Paul, then ogle the man.
Lyne masterfully uses foreshadowing and suggestive symbolism in "Unfaithful." The windswept, swirling papers and debris of the fateful meeting are present again in a city dump drop off, as well as being suggested by the snow globes Connie collects. The gusty conditions suggest another fateful day in Kansas that took Dorothy Gale to a wondrous new world but found her only wanting to return home, just as Connie does here. Lyne cuts from Connie's tormented train trip to Charlie's birthday party, where horseplay with water pistols alludes to the sexual encounter that preceded it. Ed's trip to a car wash recalls Connie's Amtrak sink sponging.
The story is all charged undercurrents. Ed notes the new lingerie that Connie's laid out with a weight of sadness. When he slips into her sexy bath, she tells him she's cold. Ironically, the couple reconnect with a lie, this time presented jointly to an outside party. As with "Fatal Attraction," Lyne fought the studio to maintain his film's ending. Luckily, this time test audiences smartly agreed with an ambiguous finale that let's one draw one's own conclusions. Lyne's only misstep is a heavy handed display of Ed's desire for loyalty when he fires an employee (Chad Lowe, "Driven") for entertaining other offers.
Cinematographer Peter Biziou ("Mississippi Burning") and editor Anne V. Coates ("Lawrence of Arabia") serve Lyne's film well. Production Designer Brian Morris ("The Insider") creates spaces that characterize their inhabitants. Music by Jan A.P. Kaczmarek ("Lost Souls") is integral to the overall mood.
"Unfaithful" is a complex adult drama, stylishly told, that may finally catapult Lane onto the A list.
Robin's Review: B
Edward and Connie Sumner (Richard Gere and Diane Lane), with their son Charlie (Eric Per Sullivan), are the quintessentially happy family. They live in a rambling 19th century home in Westchester County, own a thriving armored car company and all is right with their world. Until, one windy day, when Connie is, quite literally, blown into the arms of a handsome, hunky Frenchman in Adrian Lyne's "Unfaithful."
This romantic triangle potboiler could have been mishandled and come across as tawdry in the hands of less skillful hands than Lyne's. Instead, we get a high quality romantic triangle potboiler that combines good, at times great, acting by the stars and a fascinating study in guilt.
Diane Lane gives one of her best performances to date, this time as the star instead of her usual supporting roles. Following her inadvertent collision in the streets of Soho with saucy Frenchman Paul Martel (Olivier Martinez), she is obviously attracted to the good looking charmer when he invites her in to take care of her injured knee, but resists the temptation of those soulful eyes and strong arms - though, not for long. When she gives in to the temptation of an erotic tryst, what follows is some of the tightest, on the edge acting as Connie heads home on the commuter rail. We watch the emotions wash over her as she is initially warmed by the thoughts of lovemaking, then the even stronger surge of guilt over her infidelity hits her. It is a powerful, richly emoted scene and probably the best in the film. The actress also goes out on a limb with the strong physically sexual performance opposite Martinez.
Richard Gere has moved from the young stud roles into a more mature stage in his acting career and is convincing as Edward. His marriage to Connie has been routine but happy, so when the affair begins, he is sensitive to the waning signs. Connie is distracted all the time and, as her affair intensifies, she pushes her husband away sexually. He notes that her outfits for going "in town" for her charity fundraising work include new, sexy underwear. When he catches her in a lie, he sets the wheels of investigation into motion. What Edward finds out proves too much for the man.
Olivier Martinez is the boy toy of the flick and fits the bill. He's good looking in a way that harkens back to Gere's early days and Connie's attraction to the younger man makes sense, in a seductive way. Paul is used to having his way with women and it proves his downfall. Erik Per Sullivan doesn't do anything special as the Sumner's vacuous son, Charlie, not even looking particularly cute.
The screenplay by Alvin Sargent and William Broyles, Jr. moves along at a brisk pace as Connie begins her fling, loses the sense of risk and begins to appear in public with her amour. Becoming more brazen, she even has an assignation with Paul in a restaurant bathroom while her friends chat amiably only feet away. The paths of guilt and deceit twist midway through "Unfaithful" as it becomes much more than an affair to remember, but that's enough said.
Techs are solid with cinematographer Peter Biziou utilizing tight close ups, especially during the intimate scenes, so there is a good deal of style rather than titillation. Costumes, designed by Ellen Mirojnick, are subtle but entirely suitable. Lane is dressed to the nines when seeing Paul and loose and baggy when at home with the family. Gere is decked out in frumpy attire as befits a middle-aged guy comfortable with himself and his family.
"Unfaithful" may attract a predominantly female audience but is well done and makes a good date flick for more mature young adults and beyond.
REELING IS A PROUD MEMBER OF…
Laura and Robin's reviews are also featured on Rotten Tomatoes , the Movie Review Query Engine , and the IMDB .
- Reeling’s Top 10 Lists
- All Reviews
- Past Episodes
- Broadcast Schedule
Reeling: The Movie Review Show
has been produced by Robin and Laura Clifford at the Malden, Massachusetts cable access television station, MATV, since March 16, 1991.
- Reviews RSS
- Blu-Ray Video
- Soundtracks
Sponsored Links
Related reviews, richard gere, olivier martinez, adrian lyne, this film on.
- Internet Movie Database (IMDB)
- Rotten Tomatoes
Lyne opens with a typical day in the life for the suburban Sumners: packing eight-year-old son Charlie (Erik Per Sullivan of Malcolm in the Middle ) and businessman Edward off to school and work, stay-at-home fundraiser Connie heads into the city to do her errands. When the wind picks up something fierce, it blows Connie directly into 28-year-old book dealer Paul Martel (Olivier Martinez). Exotic French transplant Paul swiftly charms Connie with kindness and come-ons, and she makes the fateful choice to follow him up to his apartment for medical care and not-so-casual chat. "Nothing" happens, but a seed is planted, and the housewife can't get her mind off of her exotic tempter. Return visits eventually turn into assignations, while the cuckolded Edward--no dummy, he--begins to pick up on the signals (the audience has long since picked up the script's dumbest signal: his wife's ironic name).
Lyne stirs up and watches over palpable eroticism and anxiety: it's not a matter of whether there'll be disaster, but what form it will take. Suffice it to say that detectives both private (Dominic Chianese) and public (Zejko Ivanek and Gary Basaraba) become involved as Edward tracks his wife's hurtful infidelity (Kate Burton and Margaret Colin play Constance's friends and foils). Lyne surrounds himself with top craftspeople: Oscar-winner Alvin Sargent and Oscar-nominee William Broyles, Jr., Oscar-winning editor Anne V. Coates, and Oscar-winning cinematographer Peter Biziou. Gere shows intriguing new shades to his star presence, and Lane has never been so emotionally shattering, particularly in a bravura sequence on a bus that shows Connie processing every euphoric and devastating emotion brought on by her forbidden romance.
Based loosely on Claude Chabrol's La Femme Infidele (Lyne's favorite film), Unfaithful works precisely because it is so upsetting, unusually so for a studio film, and so empathetic for Connie at the hands of her attractive manipulator. "I think this is a mistake," she says. "There's no such thing as a mistake," Paul responds, betraying his amorality. "There's what you do, and what you don't do." Ultimately, Unfaithful is moralistic, but it understands the woman's tragic error and suggests anyone is capable of it, should the right circumstances and moment of weakness create "the perfect storm."
On Blu-ray, Unfaithful benefits from a significant improvement in clarity and detail, both visual and aural. The new image is a beaut, expertly replicating Lyne's subtle color scheme and shadow detail with a wonderfully film-like transfer. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track likewise recreates the subtle soundscape heard in theaters; all around, this is a very impressive reissue that should have fans tossing their DVDs in delight.
All of the DVD features are faithfully preserved here, and it's an impressive array. Adrian Lyne contributes a commentary that offers a thoughtful close analysis of the film and his own approach to the material, themes and characters. A second commentary with Diane Lane and Olivier Martinez is also entertaining and thoughtful in its discussion of what was necessary (and trying) to develop the characters under Lyne's intense scrutiny.
11 "Deleted Scenes" with introduction and optional commentary by Lyne (17:46 with "Play All" option, SD) add insight into character and the process of Lyne and his editor.
"An Affair to Remember: On the Set of Unfaithful " (15:49, SD) is a fascinating look at Lyne's sometimes punishing process, with on-set footage and interviews with Lyne, Gere, Lane, Martinez and producer G. Mac Brown.
"Anne V. Coates on Editing" (8:54, SD) is a happily unadorned interview with the beloved Oscar winner, as she frankly discusses her collaboration with Lyne and her discovery of some of the film's most memorable scenes.
" The Charlie Rose Show Interview with Adrian Lyne, Richard Gere and Diane Lane" (18:52, SD) may not be Rose's best interview, but as usual a lengthy Rose sit-down is a very welcome bit of journalism amongst studio-produced pieces. Speaking of those, we also get a suite of clips from the EPK interviews, called A Conversation with... : "Richard Gere" (5:38, SD), "Diane Lane" (9:42, SD) and "Olivier Martinez" (7:22, SD).
Lyne fans get a great gift in a gallery of Director's Script Notes for three sequences: "Morning, "Meeting" and "Unithinkable." An Easter Egg outtake (2:06, SD) of a sleepy Erik Per Sullivan is a bit of fun, and we also get the film's "Theatrical Trailer" (2:17, SD).
Unfaithful Review
By Rob Blackwelder
Facts and Figures
Year : 2002
Run time : 124 mins
In Theaters : Friday 10th May 2002
Box Office USA : $52.7M
Box Office Worldwide : $119.1M
Budget : $50M
Distributed by : 20th Century Fox
Production compaines : Intertainment
Contactmusic.com : 2.5 / 5
Rotten Tomatoes : 49% Fresh: 79 Rotten: 82
IMDB : 6.7 / 10
Cast & Crew
Director : Adrian Lyne
Starring : Diane Lane as Connie Sumner, Richard Gere as Ed Sumner, Olivier Martinez as Paul Martel, Erik Per Sullivan as Charlie Sumner, Chad Lowe as Bill Stone, Myra Lucretia Taylor as Gloria, Michelle Monaghan as Lindsay, Kate Burton as Tracy, Margaret Colin as Sally
Also starring : Dominic Chianese
- Unfaithful Movie Site
- Rotten Tomatoes
Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review
After the thunderous reception for J.J. Abrams' Episode VII: The Force Awakens two years ago,...
Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review
Like the 2015 original, this comedy plays merrily with cliches to tell a silly story...
The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review
There's a somewhat contrived jauntiness to this blending of fact and fiction that may leave...
Ferdinand Movie Review
This animated comedy adventure is based on the beloved children's book, which was published in...
Brigsby Bear Movie Review
Director Dave McCary makes a superb feature debut with this offbeat black comedy, which explores...
Battle of the Sexes Movie Review
A dramatisation of the real-life clash between tennis icons Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs,...
Shot Caller Movie Review
There isn't much subtlety to this prison thriller, but it's edgy enough to hold the...
The Disaster Artist Movie Review
A hilariously outrageous story based on real events, this film recounts the making of the...
Stronger Movie Review
Based on a true story about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, this looks like one...
Only the Brave Movie Review
Based on a genuinely moving true story, this film undercuts the realism by pushing its...
Wonder Movie Review
This film may be based on RJ Palacio's fictional bestseller, but it approaches its story...
Happy End Movie Review
Austrian auteur Michael Haneke isn't known for his light touch, but rather for hard-hitting, award-winning...
Patti Cake$ Movie Review
Seemingly from out of nowhere, this film generates perhaps the biggest smile of any movie...
The Limehouse Golem Movie Review
A Victorian thriller with rather heavy echoes of Jack the Ripper, this film struggles to...
Actors Index: 0 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Help Contact Us About Us Advertise Business Write For Us T&Cs Privacy Cookie Policy Site Map Consent Settings
Copyright © 2024 Contactmusic.com Ltd, all rights reserved
- Editors Recommended Editors Recommended
- News Headlines News Headlines Trending Headlines
- Music / Festival News Music / Festival News Musicians & bands in the news
- Movie / TV / Theatre News Movie / TV / Theatre News Actors & filmmakers in the news
- Lifestyle / Showbiz News Lifestyle / Showbiz News Celebrities in the news
- News Archive News Archive
- Music Reviews Music Reviews Best Rated Music Reviews
- Music Video Music Video Top Music Videos
- Most Mentioned Most Mentioned Bands and Musicians in Music
- Movie Trailers Movie Trailers
- Movie Reviews Movie Reviews Best Rated Movies
- Most Mentioned Most Mentioned Actors and Filmmakers in Film
- Latest Photos
- Popular Photos Latest Photos Updated Galleries
- Most Mentioned Most Mentioned People in Photos
- Photo Archive Photo Archive
- Trending Artists Trending Artists
- Actors and Filmmakers Actors Filmmakers
- Celebrities Celebrities
- Bands and Musicians Bands Musicians
- Interviews Interviews
- Movie Trailers Movie Trailers Top Movie Trailers
- Video Chart Video Chart
- Most Mentioned Most Menioned Artists in Video
- Music Video
- Movie Trailers
- Video Chart
- Most Mentioned
- Trending Artists
- Actors and Filmmakers
- Bands and Musicians
- Celebrities
- Popular Photos
- Photo Archive
Go Back in Time using our Photos archive to see what happened on a particular day in the past.
- Movie Reviews
- Music Reviews
- News Headlines
- Music / Festival News
- Movie / TV / Theatre News
- Lifestyle / Showbiz News
- News Archive
Go Back in Time using our News archive to see what happened on a particular day in the past.
- Editors Recommended
Wikibooks (0 entries)
Wikinews (0 entries), wikiquote (2 entries).
- fawikiquote بیوفا (فیلم ۲۰۰۲)
- itwikiquote L'amore infedele - Unfaithful
Wikisource (0 entries)
Wikiversity (0 entries), wikivoyage (0 entries), wiktionary (0 entries), multilingual sites (0 entries).
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Rated: 3.5/4 • Nov 8, 2023. Jan 29, 2018. Aug 16, 2017. Described by director Adrian Lyne ("Fatal Attraction") as "an erotic thriller about the body language of guilt." When Edward (Richard Gere ...
Based on the film by. The heart has its reasons, said the French philosopher Pascal, quoted by the American philosopher Woody Allen. It is a useful insight when no other reasons seem apparent. Connie Sumner's heart and other organs have their reasons for straying outside a happy marriage in "Unfaithful,'' but the movie doesn't say what they are.
Unfaithful is a 2002 erotic thriller film directed and produced by Adrian Lyne and starring Richard Gere, Diane Lane, Olivier Martinez, Erik Per Sullivan, Chad Lowe, and Dominic Chianese.It was adapted by Alvin Sargent and William Broyles Jr. from the 1969 French film The Unfaithful Wife by Claude Chabrol.It tells the story of a couple living in the suburbs of New York City whose marriage goes ...
Aidan McGuinness 7 July 2002. This is a movie about being unfaithful. you probably guessed that. The unfaithful person is one Connie Sumner (Diane Lane), wife to Edward (Richard Gere). Edward is actually a nice guy, and a loving father to their child Frank (`Malcolm in the Middle' star Erik Par Sullivan).
The outline remains almost identical - an affluent middle-class housewife with a 10-year-old son is suspected by her loving older husband of having an affair. He hires a private detective to ...
Drinking and smoking. Parents need to know that this movie contains a number of elements that may be upsetting to children. The theme of infidelity runs through the movie, and it creates some tense scenes of home life. Connie's seduction is quite overwhelming, and the sex scenes are intense and graphic. There is also one pretty violent….
Unfaithful (2002) Reviewed by Jason Best. Updated 06 June 2002. "Fatal Attraction" director Adrian Lyne again shows adultery as the driving passion behind a marital tragedy - but this time around ...
Unfaithful - Diane Lane and Olivier Martinez. Movie & TV News. Featured on RT. Avatar: The Last Airbender: What It Gets Right, and What It Gets Wrong. February 27, 2024. Best Hulu Series To Watch Right Now (February 2024) February 27, 2024. Shōgun First Reviews: 'A Sweeping Historical Epic,' Critics Say. February 27, 2024. 30 Most ...
Adrian Lyne. Director. Alvin Sargent. Screenplay. William Broyles Jr. Screenplay. Connie is a wife and mother whose 11-year marriage to Edward has lost its sexual spark. When Connie literally runs into handsome book collector Paul, he sweeps her into an all-consuming affair. But Edward soon becomes suspicious and decides to confront the other man.
Buy Pixar movie tix to unlock Buy 2, ... Unfaithful Critic Reviews and Ratings Powered by Rotten Tomatoes Rate Movie. Close Audience Score. The percentage of users who made a verified movie ticket purchase and rated this 3.5 stars or higher. ...
Rotten Tomatoes® Score. ... Reel Film Reviews. David Nusair ... Unfaithful is not so much about the conventions of a typical bored housewife falls for exotic foreigner with disastrous results story, but in fact plumbs the depths of what really constitutes intimacy, and how complacency, rather than the melodramatic ups ...
Reviews for Unfaithful (2002). Average score: 49/100. Synopsis: Connie is a wife and mother whose 11-year marriage to Edward has lost its sexual spark. When Connie literally runs into handsome book collector Paul, he sweeps her into an all-consuming affair. But Edward soon becomes suspicious and decides to confront the other man.
Critics reviews. When Edward innocently learns that his wife Connie has lied to him about an affair, suspicion propels him to uncover the devastating details of her infidelity. Tormented by the knowledge, he confronts her lover, only to discover a level of rage within himself that he could never have imagined.
From the director of Fatal Attraction comes a steamy thriller about physical passion so intense, it consumes everything - and everyone - in its path. Edward and Connie Summer (Richard Gere, Diane Lane) have the perfect life: a happy marriage, an eight year old son, and a beautiful house in the suburbs. But when Connie's chance encounter with a handsome stranger (Olivier Martinez) erupts into a ...
How to watch online, stream, rent or buy Unfaithful in the UK + release dates, reviews and trailers. Diane Lane stars as a New York suburban wife whose marriage to her loving husband (Richard Gere) enters dangerous territory when she enters a heated affair with another man.
"Unfaithful" may attract a predominantly female audience but is well done and makes a good date flick for more mature young adults and beyond. REELING IS A PROUD MEMBER OF… Laura and Robin's reviews are also featured on Rotten Tomatoes , the Movie Review Query Engine , and the IMDB .
Internet Movie Database (IMDB) Rotten Tomatoes / Unfaithful (2002) 123 min. 20th Century Fox. ... (Lyne's favorite film), Unfaithful works precisely because it is so upsetting, unusually so for a studio film, and so empathetic for Connie at the hands of her attractive manipulator. "I think this is a mistake," she says. ... Share this review ...
Unfaithful Fan Reviews and Ratings Powered by Rotten Tomatoes Rate Movie. Close Audience Score. The percentage of users who made a verified movie ticket purchase and rated this 3.5 stars or higher. Learn more. Review Submitted. GOT IT. Offers. WIN A SIGNED COPY OF BARBIE THE ALBUM image link ...
With Unfaithful, Lyne uses pieces from several prior efforts to tell a more complete adult drama, but he fails to create anything we have not seen before. ... Rotten Tomatoes: 49% Fresh: 79 Rotten ...
The suburban New York couple, played by Diane Lane and Richard Gere, whose marriage has come unglued because of the wife's fling with a seductive young Lothario, realize as their eyes meet across ...
2002 film directed by Adrian Lyne. Unfaithful (Q970089 ... Rotten Tomatoes average rating. 1 reference. stated in. Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes ID. m/unfaithful ... Metascore. number of reviews/ratings. 34 critic review. 1 reference. Metacritic ID. movie/unfaithful. nominated for. Academy Award for Best Actress. nominee. Diane Lane ...
Unfaithfully Yours is a 1984 American romantic comedy film directed by Howard Zieff, starring Dudley Moore and Nastassja Kinski and featuring Armand Assante and Albert Brooks.The screenplay was written by Valerie Curtin, Barry Levinson, and Robert Klane based on Preston Sturges' screenplay for the 1948 film of the same name.The original music score is by Bill Conti and the song "Unfaithfully ...