Unfaithful

Yes, it's a Lyne film with an upscale American couple rocked by infidelity, but this isn't 'Fatal Attraction 2'. Unlike the cheap shock tactics of its predecessor, it proves a surprisingly grown up affair, exploring the panoply of emotions unleashed by sex outside an 11-year marriage. Horny excitement, burning shame, selfish liberation and incipient fear all play across Lane's face in the most striking scene, as she returns home musing on an illicit afternoon just spent with her young French lover (Martinez). What she doesn't quite count on is the response it provokes from her husband (Gere). Like Chabrol's La Femme Infidèle, on which it's based, the film eventually slides into teasing thriller mode, and though it lacks the original's astringent concentration, the range of sympathies is definitely broader here as secrets on both sides lock the couple in a private hell. An old ad man's habits die hard, however, and too many scenes are pumped up for instant impact when slow burn might have brought greater reward. Still, the superb acting and intelligent script negotiate an absorbing course between Hollywood glitz and Gallic soul-searching.