Unfaithful
TV ClubHouse: archive: Movies Sept 2002 - April 2003:
Unfaithful
Hummingbird | Sunday, March 02, 2003 - 08:12 pm     I didn't dislike this movie as much as some of you and think Diane Lane did a good job. If you can get past the idea that a young woman would go to a strange man's apartment in an era where we have all heard of people like Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer, the rest of the movie is less of a stretch. Of course, movie plots are made up of the extaordinary. I too was offended by the body being thrown in the city dump and another scene which I considered gratuitous -- Masterbating while talking on the phone. I don't want to see anybody doing that! All in all, the movie held my attention and I would watch it again. |
Djgirl5235 | Monday, March 03, 2003 - 05:35 am     I was of two minds watching this movie on Saturday night: 1) Extremely uncomfortable and wanted it to end 2) Very bored and wanting it to end I'm the type of person who will read a book to the end even if I'm not enjoying it, and if I've spent money on a movie, I always watch it regardless it I enjoy it or not. I was literally waiting for this movie to get better, and it never did. I too wondered about someone going up to a stranger's apartment, but I allowed myself to suspend realism for awhile, but even so, the whole movie just turned me off for the night. There were too many gratuitous scenes, and I found the sexual scenes almost bordering on pornographic at times... Just too much for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a prude (far from it), but if I wanted porn, I would have rented porn. I don't think you could pay me enough to watch this movie again! I was highly disappointed. |
Bananaclip | Monday, March 03, 2003 - 09:44 am     Thanks Crazydog and CuriousCat! No way in h*ll was this movie was worth a late charge so I didn't get to watch the deleted scenes. |
Brenda1966 | Monday, March 03, 2003 - 11:10 am     I'm surprised that so many of you hated this movie. I'm even more surprised that you found it so unrealistic. Men and women meet in bars every day of every week and go home with people they just met. Although I would NEVER go into a stranger's home, there are plenty of women who will. Most people are not dangerous so the odds are they will be fine. I thought Lane was perfect in this. So much of her behavior is unexpected because she's let herself get caught up in this naughty little fantasy-come-to-life. Crazydog -- on the subway I think she is both crying and laughing. She's feeling everything. Put me in the minority as usual. I thought this movie was sexy and intriguing. I'd give it a 7 out of 10. |
Crazydog | Monday, March 03, 2003 - 11:28 am     Oh, Brenda, that explains the train sequence, thanks. I recognize that people meet and have one night stands all the time. But I guess another problem I had is that they never explained why she was so unhappy. She seemed like she had everything - a nice house, a rich and successful husband who owns his own company, a healthy (albeit annoying) child, a nice car. She sits around all day planning fundraisers - she was fortunate that her husband's job allowed her the opportunity to not work. The whole affair seemed ridiculous to me when there wasn't really all that much indication that she was frustrated to begin with. If there was, I missed it. I just didn't understand why she was willing to throw it all away for a creepy French guy who lives in a creepy apartment with thousands of dusty books. If she had expressed dissatisfaction or boredom, it would have made more sense to me. Her life seemed perfect. When she visited Edward at his company, the employees there treated her like a queen. As he did. I suppose the reason why I felt so unsympathetic for her (and the movie as well) is that her actions were just all so stupid and inexplicable. |
Hermione69 | Monday, March 03, 2003 - 11:55 am     Brenda, actually I agree with you in that I don't have a problem at all in how it happened. People lose their heads for just a second and do stupid things that forever alter the courses of their lives. Sexual attraction can be a powerful influence on human behavior. I didn't have any problem at all believing in the movie and I also thought Diane Lane's acting was excellent; the movie was just so depressing and violent to me. |
Brenda1966 | Monday, March 03, 2003 - 01:00 pm     Crazydog, are you being sarcastic with thanking me? I ask because I was going to go into a lengthy dialogue about all that she was feeling on the subway but I knew there was NO way I could even begin to describe it. The range of emotions, from tears to laughter, was so well portrayed by only her expression. I still don't think I explained it well at all! I think the key to this movie, and why it is different, is that she is not unhappy or frustrated in her marriage. She has a wonderful life and an adorable kid (I love him on Malcom too). So why on earth risk it all? My feelings on why is: she gets caught up in this fantasy that is now real but still feels unreal and invincible to her. That's why she'd risk being seen in a restaurant with him -- it's removed from reality. BTW, you're definition of creepy is my definition of hot, hot, hot! LOL! He has irresistible bad boy written all over him. Yum. Hermi -- I understand what you're saying. I can see that it would be too depressing or sexual or dark for some. |
Brenda1966 | Monday, March 03, 2003 - 01:02 pm     I forgot to mention the DVD ending again... I did not see it but read here what the original ending was. I have to say I like the ambiguous ending better. When I left the theater I didn't want him to turn himself in. Gee, what does that say about my morality? |
Crazydog | Monday, March 03, 2003 - 01:13 pm     No Brenda, I wasn't being sarcastic. Your explanation that she was feeling everything makes more sense as to why she laughs and cries. I had assumed she was crying the whole time because she regretted it and I thought that some of the "crying" looked like laughter. Which I guess it was! |
Hummingbird | Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 07:19 am     Crazydog, haven't you ever been hopelessly, stupidly, unreasonably in love, knowing it was temporary at best but unable to end it sensibly? I haven't for a long, long time but I remember the feeling. Briefly in your life, nothing else matters. Then you come to your senses and much, much later look back on the experience thinking, "I must have been out of my freaking mind!". In most of these cases, no one gets murdered. This movie just showed the extremes to which such abandonment of reason can go. |
Crazydog | Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 01:45 pm     I agree that the movie showed the extremes. I usually am willing to suspend my disbelief whenever I watch a movie, but those are usually for stunts and action movies. I suppose my problem with the movie is that it seems like it is supposed to depict an average ordinary encounter and what can happen. I think the movie's aim was to show a realistic portrayal and that's where I find fault with it. If it was knowingly trying to depict the extremes of the consequences of an affair, then I still don't think the movie worked for me. I just find it very disturbing. I think it's interesting to talk about the movie, but I don't feel I particularly enjoyed it. I had friends warn me about it and I didn't listen! |
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