'Cheri' review

Michelle Pfeiffer and Kathy Bates (Credit: Bruno Calvo/Miramax)

Chéri (Rupert Friend) is a typical 19-year-old slacker—his mother (Kathy Bates) complains about the dark circles under his eyes, his habit of sleeping past noon and the way he constantly nags her for a car. But Chéri happens to live in France during the boom times that ushered in the 20th Century. He’s also involved in a torrid affair with celebrated courtesan Léa de Lonval (Michelle Pfeiffer), a woman twice his age and longtime frenemy to his mother. After six years of May-December mischief, Mom decides it’s time for Chéri to man up and marry someone his own age: the comely but naïve Edmée (Felicity Jones). Léa is not pleased.

The buzz: The last time Pfeiffer worked with director Stephen Frears and screenwriter Christopher Hampton the result was 1988’s “Dangerous Liaisons,” a cutting period drama showered with Oscar nominations that still holds up as a costume classic. But times change, and Pfeiffer has spent most of this decade in self-imposed semi-retirement. Her last two films (both younger man/older woman romances) have gone straight-to-DVD, but she did generate some comeback chatter with scene-stealing supporting turns in 2007’s “Stardust” and “Hairspray.” Meanwhile, Frears and Hampton reestablished their award credentials by directing “The Queen” and writing “Atonement,” respectively. Of course, they also collaborated on an epic dud: the Julia Roberts disaster “Mary Reilly.”

The verdict: Don’t start Pfeiffer’s comeback parade too soon. The actress still has the period piece chops she perfected in “Liaisons” and “The Age of Innocence,” but “Chéri” lacks the emotional depth and directorial flair of those films—which significantly mutes its overall impact. The movie looks beautiful (the costumes are first-rate eye candy) but the story suffers, largely because the bond between Chéri and Léa is never particularly credible or compelling. They have enough in common—they’re both rich, shallow and attractive—it’s just not enough to convince the audience to care about their forced separation. There’s heartbreak in the fact that not all relationships are built to last, but Léa seems stronger on her own and Chéri has a lot of growing up to do. The film does a fantastic job of convincing us they’re better off looking for other options. As a moviegoer, so are you.

Did you know? “Chéri” is based on a novel of the same name by legendary French writer Colette, who supposedly was inspired by her real-life affair with an 18-year-old stepson. Maybe a more interesting film could've been made from her reality, instead of her fiction.

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