Unfaithful (2002)

Starring: Richard Gere, Diane Lane, Olivier Martinez
Director: Adrien Lyne

Rating: R

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Review Posted: 1.15.03

Spoilers: Minor

By John Teves

Edward and Connie Summer (Richard Gere, Diane Lane) have the perfect life:ia happy marriage, an eight-year-old son, and a beautiful house in the suburbs. But when Connie's chance encounter with a handsome stranger (Oliver Martinez) erupts into a full-blown affair, desire becomes obsession, and the true price of betrayal takes a shattering toll.

UNFAITHFUL could have been such a compelling and remarkable film. The film represents an unusual grim view of sex, passion, and affairs. The lack of realism destroys the film however, leaving the viewer with a repulsive blank feeling at the end. While the ending could have used another revision, everything else about film worked perfectly. I felt the film had it’s moment of thrills and fervor, sadly, the movie lacked the sensitivity and pacing to make it a consistently gripping event.

UNFAITHFUL appears in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 on this single-sided, dual-layered DVD; the image has been enhanced for 16X9 televisions. Overall, the picture was crystal clear. Sharpness was sensational. No concerns related to jagged edges or edge enhancement. I noticed some light grain, but otherwise the film was spotless.  The color pallet was vivid and accurate. Black levels were deep and shadow detail was heavy but not overly thick.

UNFAITHFUL is presented in a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack.  The sound projected a great deal from the front speakers with not much going on for the rear speakers. The soundfield did open up during the film.

Audio quality was positive; dialogue was normal, with no issues related to edginess. The music score remained clear and energetic. Effects stayed reserved much of the film. UNFAITHFUL ultimately remained somewhat submissive but over all it worked well for the film presentation.

• Full Length Commentary by Director Allan Lyne

• Scene Specific Actor's Commentary

• 11 Deleted Scenes (Including Alternate Ending) with Optional Director's Commentary

• "The Charlie Rose Show" Interview with Richard Gere, Diane Lane, and Adrian Lyne

• Behind the Scenes Featurette: "An Affair to Remember"

• Editing Featurette

• Cast Interviews

UNFAITHFUL provides a reasonably entertaining experience, but it doesn’t do much to distinguish itself from other films. The film starts well but ends with a major letdown. The DVD offers solid picture and reasonable sound, and while the supplements are light, they are adequate. UNFAITHFUL may interest some viewers, but it’s not something I can strongly recommend.

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