by SARAH ROWLAND

Cheating's come a long way. Once swept under the carpet for the sake of the children, it went from being celebrated in the swingin' '70s to being chatted about endlessly on talk shows, where women were told time and time again, "Girlfriend, you better kick that (fill in your word here) to the curb." Today, unfaithfulness is usually seen as a symptom of a greater problem in the relationship. We Don't Live Here Anymore explores this contemporary attitude toward screwing around, leaving no motive unturned.

The story revolves around two New England couples who are the best of friends. All four people cheat for different reasons. Jack Linden (Mark Ruffalo) lets his dick wander to escape his marriage. Terry Linden (Laura Dern) spreads 'em to deal with her father issues. Edith Evans (Naomi Watts) is trying to supplement her loveless union with Hank Evans (Peter Krause), who, well, he's just your standard womanizing pig, who abuses his position of authority as a professor to harass his college students.

The Evans live in a clinically sterile home. Both mom and dad are too self-obsessed to notice that their morose, sallow, six-year-old daughter is about as well-adjusted as a child of the damned.

The Lindens, on the other hand, live in complete chaos with screaming kids and pee stains, highlighting Terry's failure as a housewife.

On weekends, the adults get together to piss it up and listen to vintage records. Jack and Edith's overextended beer runs start the games, but it's not long before their spouses hook up as a last-ditch effort at revenge. The only person having a good time in all of this is of course Hank.

Watts and Krause hold their own in this intense, dialogue-heavy drama. But it's Dern and Ruffalo who really give it some true grit. Dern lays it all out when she and Ruffalo fight, never holding back as an insecure woman desperately clinging to her marriage. At times, her pained face is so pathetic and real, it's cringeworthy. And Ruffalo is such a sweet bastard who becomes increasingly more cruel as his guilt consumes him; he's especially wicked when he toys with Dern about her affair. Together they make We Don't Live Here Anymore a truly riveting and unforgiving family drama.

We Don't Live Here Anymore opens Friday, Aug. 20

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