Who would have thought that the Americans (and we're talking North Americans) could beat the French in the game of lust, infidelity and lacy lingerie? "Chloe" is a remake of "Nathalie," a 2003 film by French femme director extraordinaire Anne Fontaine; but in terms of sheer sexiness mileage, this U.S. version is on par with a business-class upgrade.

"Chloe" is the work of Canadian auteur Atom Egoyan ("The Sweet Hereafter," "Where the Truth Lies"), and fans may recognize one of his signature themes: that identity has a direct link with sexual communication (or lack thereof).

Like its predecessor, "Chloe" explores the edges of conventional sexuality and stumbles upon sizzling eroticism. And then Egoyan pitches the story (if only temporarily) into the depths of black alienation. There's real loneliness here, the kind that shatters self-esteem and deprives dignity, eroding the soul like acid.