I wasn’t familiar with this film before stumbling upon it, but I decided to give it a try because of its cast—though they aren't exactly household names at the moment, with perhaps Elizabeth Olsen being an exception—and they all delivered strong performances. The four central characters felt essential to how the story unfolded. As the title suggests, the movie centers on a clandestine romantic relationship between a young married woman and her disabled husband’s friend. A mother of one of these individuals also plays a significant role, introducing a plot development later in the film. An affair implies pursuing desires with an intent for permanence. This particular story takes a darker turn as it progresses, though. What I appreciated most was that the narrative avoids portraying any of its characters as purely evil. That sense of balance felt really well done, but because I didn’t realize this going in, I consistently anticipated something terrible happening, except for one scene which significantly alters what follows. The film has a realistic feel, like observing an actual event. The movie suggests that no one is inherently good or bad; everyone makes mistakes and does both positive and negative things. It effectively illustrates the severity of harmful actions and how they impact those involved. The story is adapted from a French novel written 150 years ago and takes place in Paris during the 1860s. The depiction of that historical period was well-executed, but I did feel that the film’s pacing and duration were occasionally slow; there were moments where it felt tedious. Despite having capable actors and competent direction, it feels like a lower-tier production. However, everyone involved put in remarkable effort, which is reason enough to watch it. 6.5/10

Source on TMDB