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Chéri

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Chéri (2009)

June. 26,2009
|
6.1
|
R
| Drama Comedy Romance
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The son of a courtesan retreats into a fantasy world after being forced to end his relationship with the older woman who educated him in the ways of love.

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Reviews

Pacionsbo
2009/06/26

Absolutely Fantastic

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Crwthod
2009/06/27

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

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Kaelan Mccaffrey
2009/06/28

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

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Lachlan Coulson
2009/06/29

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

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Chrysanthepop
2009/06/30

Stephen Frears and Michelle Pfeiffer reunite to create an intense period piece called 'Cheri'. Frears's presentation of the courtesan culture in the 1800s is interesting and the captivating visuals, elegant sets and costumes grab the viewer's attention. It's a visual treat to watch thanks to the first rate art direction and cinematography. Frears's attention to detail is remarkable as he subtly demonstrates the contrast between the culture and class of the characters. The focus of 'Cheri' is the relationship between Cheri (Rupert Friend) and Lea (Michelle Pfeiffer). Lea is decades older and a former rival courtesan of Cheri's mother (Kathy Bates). Cheri and Lea fall in love but because of society's norm, their relationship must remain a secret. I liked that Pfeiffer's Lea wasn't a vamp seductress and that she genuinely wants Cheri to do right by his wife except during moments of weakness. Michelle Pfeiffer is spellbinding as she owns the part. I couldn't imagine anyone else do a better Lea. Kathy Bates is just as good as Madame Peloux and Rupert Friend is competent in the title role. Frears has created another winner. 'Cheri' could have easily been a melodramatic soap opera type movie but Frears keeps it subtle and smooth. It might not be everyone's kind of film but it's stunning to look at and captivating.

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Spaceygirl
2009/07/01

'Cheri' is outstandingly awful. From Michelle Pfeiffer's god-awful accent to Kathy Bates' shrewish portrayal of an aging courtesan to Rupert Friend's listless portrayal of the title role. The script stutters and splutters, revealing little of the brilliance of the source material. The dialogue is stilted and the scenes choppy and disjointed. The film has few redeeming features, the cinematography is lovely and the movie is visually outstanding resulting in a work that is style over substance. The main problem lies in the casting, Michelle Pfeiffer is affected and her accent is all over the place. Truly, truly awful.

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anonanon22
2009/07/02

Why is this movie rated as 6.2 out of 10? Are people blind? Crowds of movie goers flock to Avatar and Alice in Wonderland, and stuff like Cheri are completely overlooked. This is a delicious flick, with a great unusual and touching romantic story, gorgeous early 20th century atmosphere and brilliant interpretations from gorgeous Michele Pfeiffer and Kathy Bates. The story flows slow and stylishly like the surroundings of Belle Epoque and the final is so moving it makes a stone cry. Definitely the best movie I saw in 2009 together with Bright Star from Jane Campion. Please go see it and don't believe anyone who tells you otherwise.

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gradyharp
2009/07/03

Stephen Frears has created some powerful and very well crafted movies: 'Dangerous Liaisons', 'My Beautiful Laundrette', 'The Grifters', 'The Queen', 'Prick up your Ears', 'Dirty Pretty Things', etc. One would expect that his experience in dealing with edgy issues would make him the perfect choice for adapting the famous French writer of 'naughty novels' - Colette - but somewhere in the flow of this production, perhaps in the Christopher Hampton's adaptation of the novel to screenplay, the original stories become perfumed and sanitized. And the reasons why this happened remain obscure. The story is simple: courtesans in Paris must eventually retire form their lives of becoming wealthy through pleasing men of the higher class, and either they live out their lives in the luxuries of fluff or they must confront their aging and feel pangs of remorse as they end their lives alone, without a man to bolster them. Lea de Lonval (Michelle Pfeiffer) has been longtime 'friends' with Madame Peloux (Kathy Bates), even to the point of nurturing Madame's son Chéri (Rupert Friend) as he approaches manhood. Madame asks Lea to 'polish' Chéri for other women and after what might have been a brief fling in Normandy, the young Chéri and the aging Lea fall into a six year relationship. But as Madame realizes she needs grandchildren, she eventually finds a proper girl Edmee (Felicity Jones) for Chéri to marry. The remainder of the story is how these two age-disparate characters adapt to the 'social rules' of La Belle Epoque, suggesting that even under extraordinary circumstances the power of love is an issue that must be confronted. Despite the performances by Pfeiffer and Friend (and even the miscast Bates) the story feels somehow sterile. Perhaps it is the out of place use of a male narrator who gives the film an unnecessary feeling of being a documentary, or the somewhat overused musical score of Alexandre Desplat, or the emphasis on costumes that hardly add to the beauty of Pfeiffer as Lea that keep the production grounded. It is a pleasant enough film, but hardly a memorable one. Grady Harp

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