Adrian Lyne directed and produced Unfaithful, a 2002 Hollywood erotic thriller picture starring Richard Gere, Diane Lane, Olivier Martinez, Erik Per Sullivan, Chad Lowe, and Dominic Chianese. It was adapted from the 1969 French film The Unfaithful Wife by Alvin Sargent and William Broyles Jr. It depicts the story of a suburban New York City couple whose marriage goes wrong after the wife has an affair with a stranger she meets by chance.
Unfaithful earned $52 million in the United States and $119,137,784 globally. Despite conflicting reviews, Lane’s performance earned a lot of appreciation. She was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Actress after winning Best Actress prizes from the National Society of Film Critics and the New York Film Critics.
Olivier Martinez, who was cast as Paul, gave a videotaped audition to the producers during pre-production. Once Martinez was cast, his character was given a French accent. ‘I think it helps one see how Connie would have jumped into this affair—really he’s fascinating, even doing mundane things,’ Lyne remarked. Martinez adjusted portions of his lines and the sequence in which he first seduces Lane’s character as she is gazing at a Braille book with Lyne’s consent after being cast in the role.
The plot was originally set against snowy exteriors, however, this concept was quickly dismissed. Principal photography began on March 22, 2001, and ended on June 1, 2001, with Lyne continuing to film in the same location whenever possible. The majority of the movie was shot in New York City. It rained during Connie’s initial meeting with Paul during the windstorm scenario, and Lyne utilized the overcast weather conditions for the street scenes.
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