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| unfaithful (2002) | |
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Claude Chabrol is regarded as a virtuoso on criminal enigmas in the cinema and he is also considered to be the birthfather to the French New Wave in cinema, which introduced aggressive jump cuts and a new way of portraying cinema.
Chabrol has made forty some films such as Le Beau Serge (1958), Les Biches (1968), Le Boucher (1970), and recently Flower of Evil (2003). In 1969 Chabrol wrote and directed Le Femme Infidèle, which is the root for the remake Unfaithful by Adrian Lyne.
It was just a question of time until someone would remake one of Chabrol’s films.
Lyne seems to be the perfect match for this as he also has a past of mysterious and suspenseful films such as Fatal Attraction (1987) and Jacobs Ladder (1990).
Unfaithful begins with displaying the chaotic life of the housewife Connie (Diane Lane) as her job is to provide a good home for her husband, Ed (Richard Gere), and their son. Amidst the daily chores Connie is also heavily involved in fundraising and antiquities while the son is at school and the Ed is at his security firm. This chaotic lifestyle which seems to be in a rut as everyday occurs in a similar fashion. However, a fresh wind blows Connie’s way when she bumps into the young book dealer Martel (Olivier Martinez). Martel lives in an old apartment that is overcrowded with books, and Connie is devoured by Martel’s charismatic and well-read mind. Ed is a loving and faithful husband with a mountain of trust for his wife. However, Connie begins to act strange in minute manners and the small things that she does bewilder Ed. This perplexed mental state of Ed leads him to further express his love for Connie as he believes that he is wrong, but to his shocking revelation she does not return it. The unanswered love leads Ed to hire a good friend and private detective to find out the truth. The truth leads Ed to a strong internal pain. A pain that is so strong that it hinders clear thoughts and actions, which leads to a bloody event. Lyne does a marvelous job directing the film as it provides similar suspense that the audience will receive from Chabrol’s films. Diane Lane performs brilliantly; a performance that nominated her for several cinematic awards for her part. The tense atmosphere is enhanced through Diane Lane’s performance as small visual details reveal minute change in emotions and these changes lead the audience to experience a good cinematic remake. |
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USA / Germany / France |
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| REVIEWED | |
| 10/15/2004 | |
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The Internet Movie Database. |
