And yes, I know that "overlength" is a strange word for a 70-minute movie, but in this case it's true: the running time should have been about 30 minutes. As it is, the first half of "The Cheat" is pretty boring, though the branding sequence IS pretty steamy (no pun intended), and the whole film is well-directed and acted (even if the husband's character is a little too good to be true). ** out of 4.