Review of Unfaithful (2009) by Vicky S — 28 Mar 2009

I was actually very surprised at how much I enjoyed "Unfaithful." On the surface, it's a simple morality tale, but underneath exists a very stylized thriller that is more concerned with relationships and what sacrifices must be made in order to create a "happy" life.

Diane Lane and Richard Gere act perfectly here as a happily married couple. The only hint of trouble we get is when Gere's character starts interrogating his wife in an "untrusting" way. Later, Lane's character is described as being somewhat of a "floozy" earlier in life, so her husband's suspicions aren't necessarily unfounded. In any case, the first half of this movie is about a bored and aging woman who essentially just falls in love with feeling young again. It's a very identifiable emotion that we all feel, and while Lane is enjoying her morally wrong sexcapades, we don't hate her. In fact, we understand her, and basically side with her. The film's true greatness lies in the second half though.

The second half is devoted almost entirely to Gere's character and his addition to the story. I don't want to divulge too many details because a part of the reason why this movie works so well is because it feels like it could end about 100 times throughout. I literally never knew when this movie would end because everytime I thought the credits would roll, another scene would follow. This is by no means a bad thing. The film works because every "additional" scene adds to the characters or to the plot and therefore, it's never really boring. Anyway, Gere's half is more concerned with domestic life in general. What sacrifices should be made to preserve a good life for a child? How "truthful" must a couple be with each other in order to succeed? How forgiving should lovers be towards each other? And most importantly, what is love?

I believe "Unfaithful" is really exploring the idea of love and it's why I was really drawn to it. It's a different look at a very complex but overused idea and I enjoyed it, a lot. The film is stylistically cool and entertains on more than one level. I liked it.