Film: Unfaithful
Best actress wins for role: National Society of Film Critics; New York Film Critics Circle; Golden Satellite Award
Previous Oscar wins/nominations: None
Character bio: Sexy and superb, Lane delivers a top-notch performance as Connie, a woman who finds herself hurled into a dilemma when her notions of fidelity in her secure marriage are thrown to the wind when she meets Paul (Olivier Martinez), a provocative, young Frenchman who makes no apologies for his attraction to a married woman. Perhaps the most sensitive and sustained female performance of the year, Lane gently inches her way across a delicate character arc, inhabiting a beautiful yet scary rainbow of emotions and tempting the audience to join her in this passionate, but sketchy roller coaster ride bound for disaster. Diane rules.
