Unfaithful (2002)

Unfaithful is a psychological erotic thriller directed by Adrian Lyne, who’s known for his explorations of passion, guilt, and infidelity in films like Fatal Attraction and 9½ Weeks. This 2002 film delves into the unraveling of a seemingly normal suburban marriage after a wife embarks on a spontaneous affair.

Detailed Summary

Introduction: The Perfect Suburban Life

Connie Sumner (Diane Lane) and her husband Edward (Richard Gere) live an idyllic life in Westchester County, New York. They have a large home, a son named Charlie, and what seems to be a healthy, stable marriage. But the façade begins to crack when Connie crosses paths with a charming young man in the city.

The Encounter with Paul Martel

While in Manhattan on a windy day, Connie literally bumps into Paul Martel (Olivier Martinez), a handsome French bookseller. She scrapes her knee, he helps her, and the moment crackles with subtle tension. What starts as an innocent interaction quickly becomes a flirtatious connection that she struggles to ignore.

The Affair Intensifies

Connie visits Paul’s apartment under the pretense of buying books, but each visit becomes more intimate. Their physical relationship ignites quickly and becomes obsessive. Diane Lane’s performance is particularly notable here — her internal conflict and desire are vividly expressed through glances, silence, and emotional collapse.

Edward Grows Suspicious

Edward begins to notice Connie’s unusual behavior: her frequent trips to the city, her distracted nature, her vague lies. He hires a private investigator, who provides photographic proof of the affair. The moment Edward realizes the depth of Connie’s betrayal is one of the film’s most haunting.

The Confrontation and Murder

In a shocking sequence, Edward confronts Paul at his apartment. Initially calm, Edward engages in a somewhat civil conversation. But then he notices a snow globe — a gift he once gave Connie — sitting in Paul’s apartment. The realization that Paul has not only slept with his wife but been integrated into their emotional space pushes Edward over the edge. He strikes Paul with the snow globe, killing him instantly.

Edward cleans the scene, puts Paul’s body in the trunk, and dumps it in a landfill. The murder is messy, but he manages to hide it well — at least for a while.

Movie Ending

The final scenes of Unfaithful are steeped in tension and ambiguity. After disposing of Paul’s body, Edward returns to his family life, haunted but functioning. The police eventually connect the body to the apartment, and they question Connie. She becomes suspicious that Edward knows more than he’s saying.

In a quiet but emotionally fraught moment, Connie discovers the blood-stained snow globe hidden away. She realizes what Edward has done, but rather than confronting him in anger, she shows sadness and guilt. The couple share a silent understanding — neither is innocent anymore.

In the final scene, the two are sitting in their car, parked outside a police station. The weight of Edward’s crime and Connie’s betrayal looms large. Connie rests her head on Edward’s shoulder. The camera lingers as they sit in silence. The question is left hanging: will they turn themselves in? Will they keep the secret? Will their marriage survive?

The movie ends without giving an answer, allowing viewers to sit with the same uncertainty and guilt as the characters themselves.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, Unfaithful does not have any post-credits scenes. Once the film ends, it stays ended — there are no epilogues, teasers, or hidden surprises.

Type of Movie

Unfaithful is a psychological erotic thriller with elements of romantic drama and crime. It focuses on the emotional and moral unraveling caused by infidelity, obsession, and consequence.

Cast

• Diane Lane as Connie Sumner
• Richard Gere as Edward Sumner
• Olivier Martinez as Paul Martel
• Erik Per Sullivan as Charlie Sumner
• Dominic Chianese as Detective Dean

Film Music and Composer

The music was composed by Jan A. P. Kaczmarek, whose score underscores the emotional intensity and moral ambiguity of the film. The soundtrack blends classical pieces with atmospheric tones, heightening both the romance and the suspense.

Filming Locations

The film was primarily shot in New York State, including New York City and suburban Westchester County. These locations were crucial in symbolizing the duality of Connie’s life: the quiet, manicured safety of suburbia versus the chaotic, sensuous energy of the city.

Awards and Nominations

• Academy Award Nomination for Best Actress (Diane Lane)
• Golden Globe Nomination for Best Actress in a Drama (Diane Lane)
• Lane’s performance was widely praised for capturing the subtle emotional nuances of guilt, lust, and remorse.

Behind the Scenes Insights

• Diane Lane and Adrian Lyne collaborated closely to shape Connie’s emotional arc, often rewriting dialogue to make scenes more raw and believable.
• The sex scenes were choreographed carefully to be sensual without crossing into exploitation.
• Richard Gere took the role partly because he wanted to explore the idea of a man breaking under emotional strain rather than external pressure.
• The snow globe used as the murder weapon was originally just a set decoration, but Lyne decided to make it symbolic and deadly.

Inspirations and References

The film is a remake of the 1969 French movie “La Femme Infidèle” by Claude Chabrol. Lyne’s version is darker, more sexually explicit, and emotionally complex. It also draws thematic inspiration from the director’s previous works, particularly Fatal Attraction.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

There are no widely known alternate endings. However, some early drafts of the script had Connie turning Edward in to the police. Test screenings reportedly favored the more ambiguous, morally gray ending that made it to the final cut.

Deleted scenes included longer sequences of Connie’s internal struggle, but they were cut to tighten the pacing and preserve the sense of mystery.

Book Adaptations and Differences

Unfaithful is not based on a book but is a remake of Claude Chabrol’s film, as mentioned. The remake modernizes the setting and shifts the emotional focus, giving more weight to the female perspective and moral complexity of the aftermath.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

• Connie’s first encounter with Paul and their silent, electrically charged chemistry.
• The train ride after her first sexual encounter — a wordless but powerful montage of guilt, exhilaration, and confusion.
• Edward finding the snow globe and murdering Paul.
• The final car scene outside the police station — ambiguous and haunting.

Iconic Quotes

• Connie: “You think you know someone… but you don’t.”
• Edward: “There’s no such thing as a perfect marriage. There’s just the one you choose.”
• Paul: “You don’t know how to lie. It’s written all over your face.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

• The snow globe symbolizes the fragile world of the Sumner family — beautiful, contained, and easily shattered.
• Connie’s dress changes subtly from white to darker tones as the affair progresses, mirroring her moral descent.
• The subway scene is an homage to Brief Encounter (1945), a film also about infidelity.

Trivia

• Diane Lane’s performance was so powerful in one scene that the crew reportedly cried during filming.
• Richard Gere and Diane Lane previously starred together in The Cotton Club (1984).
• Adrian Lyne hadn’t directed a film in nearly a decade before Unfaithful; his return marked a thematic continuation of his earlier work.

Why Watch?

If you enjoy intense, character-driven stories that explore the psychology of relationships, Unfaithful delivers. It’s not just about sex or crime — it’s about guilt, consequence, and the quiet collapse of domestic life. Diane Lane’s Oscar-nominated performance alone is worth watching for its raw vulnerability and complexity.

Director’s Other Movies

• Fatal Attraction (1987)
• 9½ Weeks (1986)
• Indecent Proposal (1993)
• Lolita (1997)
• Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
• Deep Water (2022)

Recommended Films for Fans

• Fatal Attraction (1987)
• Closer (2004)
• Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
• Match Point (2005)
• The Deep End (2001)
• Damage (1992)
• Little Children (2006)