Simply A Masterpiece

A different way of telling a story

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

it is portrait of a period. correct, not bad as adaptation but soulless. only images, frozen acting, precise colors, interesting costumes. the specific note - fear to give force of all. Kathy BBates is amazing but it is not a surprise. Rupert Friend explores, in smart manner, each possibility of his character. Michelle Pfeiffer is almost a beautiful statue because her role seems be a straitjacket. and the problem is the subject - an effervescent universe who is reduced at few lines. sure, it is director choice to use only a sketch, with few delicate colors who reflects the spirit of period, to suggest a frame more than picture and his work is well. but the novel presents more possibilities. so, best choice after its end remains to expect a better version .

Even though there are more than two centuries of difference between the characters of Dangerous Liaisons and Chéri, it is impossible to deny the connection between both films, not only because they portrait scandalous romances from the aristocracy, but because they also count with Michelle Pfeiffer's powerful presence and Stephen Frears' precise direction.However, the comparisons become damaging when we compare the emotional impact and sardonic humor from Dangerous Liaisons with the hollow characters and dry romance from Chéri.I found Chéri to be a good film, because it kept me interested and entertained, but the screenplay feels a bit bland and frivolous.Due to novelist Colette's reputation (whose books Chéri and The Last of Chéri inspired this film), Frears' big talent as a director, and the presence of two brilliant actresses such as Pfeiffer and Kathy Bates, I expected to find something more passionate, incisive and ingenious.The biggest fail I found on this movie is that I found the character of Chéri to be underdeveloped and bland.I have the feeling that the screenplay diluted things from that character on its adaptation from the books.Nevertheless, I liked Chéri, specially because of the performances from Pfeiffer and Bates.The verbal encounters between them are perfectly interpreted, and the result is that they are very entertaining.So, Chéri is not totally satisfactory or highly memorable, but it still deserves a recommendation mainly because of its good performances and solid direction.

I can't (or won't) criticize the source material, as Colette wrote primarily for women, and I'm a man. My wife enjoys Colette's oeuvre, so I'll take her word for the quality of the stories.However, this film fails at anything approaching bringing a story to life, despite some appealing sets. Some of the blame must be laid upon the director and producers who decided to make another one of those "Americans playing non-Americans, please suspend your disbelief" films. How is it possible to suspend the disbelief that Kathy Bates was ever a desirable courtesan, much less French?! Much of the costuming, hairstyles and makeup are period-wrong. The re-use of exterior settings (particularly the recurring "car arriving at the manor house" scenes) gives the film a cheapness.But the majority of the blame has to be assigned to Michelle Pfeiffer whose acting skills are seldom detectable here. Nearly every line is delivered as if she's reading a Barbara Courtland novel aloud to an audience in the next room. Her voice is flat and declamatory, and she seldom shows any depth or subtlety. If she was reading for an audio-book, this might be acceptable; for a film, it's an endless line of sour notes."Cheri" mostly reads as soft-core porn from the 1970s, like one of the "Emmanuelle" series, or perhaps David Hamilton's work. It aspires to be elegant but just looks posed. It tries to be sophisticated, but never rises above soap opera. It attempts to give us a believable relationship, but it's really just actors going through the motions. I didn't buy any of it for a second. And my Colette-reading wife fared no better than I.

This film is about the love affair between a young man called Chéri, and an older but very attractive woman called Lea."Chéri" is a strong film, just like Stephen Frears' previous effort. It is colourful, vibrant, emotional and captivating. The characters are well sculpted, especially Chéri and Lea. They are both captivating, making us care for them, longing to see them happy. Apart from being a love story, it also handles the issue of aging the fear of it in a sensitive and emotional manner. Michelle Pfeiffer's acting is excellent, her wide range of emotions show naturally throughout the film. I also applaud her for being unconventional in Hollywood, as she lets her age show in some films to mirror the theme of aging. In addition, the film's tone changes from light to serious, which also mirrors the issue of aging. I enjoyed watching "Chéri". It is a visual delight and a captivating love story.