An adaptation of the novel by the French author Colette, Chéri reunites Michelle Pfeiffer and director Stephen Frears (Dangerous Liaisons) for a voluptuous, sensuous drama about daring to love a man who is strictly off limits, according to the rules of polite society.
Pfeiffer plays Lea de Lonval, a well known courtesan who is contemplating retirement after her latest lover headed back to Russia. She hasn’t done badly for herself; thanks to her many conquests she has plenty of money to keep living in the manner to which she has become accustomed. She luxuriates in finally having her bed to herself. Still, she has certain social commitments. One is to visit a retired courtesan with whom she shares a love-hate relationship, the overbearing, over-drinking Madame Peloux (Kathy Bates). Madame Peloux has a pouty, drawn, spoiled son, nicknamed “Chéri” (Rupert Friend). Lea invites him away for a brief visit to the country, and what was supposed to be a brief lesson about women turns into a six-year love affair.
When Lea finds herself falling in love with Chéri she’s able to maintain her poise. However, when Madame Peloux arranges for her son to marry Edmee (Felicity Jones), the daughter of another fabulously wealthy courtesan, Marie Laure (Iben Hjejle). Lea knows she has to end her relationship with Chéri, while he harbors fantasies of marrying and keeping Lea as his mistress. In the end, the breakup is heartbreaking for both of them.
I loved Dangerous Liaisons and I thought Chéri could have worked too. In her early fifties, Michelle Pfeiffer is still exquisitely beautiful and Rupert Friend, with his high cheekbones and pouty lips has a certain sexual appeal. But while their coupling would be believable, the film has all the heat of a tray of ice cubes. There are lots of scenes involving Chéri and Lea with mussed hair, lying on rumpled sheets, but with no hint of real carnal desire. For a story that’s supposed to be about a passionate love affair that shaped how the both of them lived the rest of their lives, Frears makes them seem like two people who could walk away from each other at any time. One scene of unadulterated lust would have given the story a lot more credibility, especially since Chéri spends a lot of the time acting like a whiny, self absorbed nitwit.
Frears along with screenwriter Christopher Hampton (Atonement) strangely decided to use subtle comic undertones to neutralize the drama of the story. The problem with that decision is that there’s nothing particularly funny to draw from, so why try to force the humor? The result is mediocrity: a film that is too light-hearted to feel dramatic and too dramatic to feel light-hearted. Chéri should have provided viewers with a passionate tale of unrequited love; instead, they’re left with pretty sheets and a suggestive wink.
Chéri is presented in widescreen (2:35:1) and is enhanced for 16×9 television Outdoor scenes are beautiful and vibrant but the beauty of the film revolves around the look and feel of the film. The print itself is solid. The colors are vibrant and the print is free of any digital anomalies.
The film is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and does a solid job. Chéri is mostly dialogue driven, with a soundtrack by Alexandre Desplat (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). The soundtrack is based mostly in the front and center channels. The dialogue remains clear throughout.
Subtitles are presented in English SDH, French and Spanish.
Chéri comes with the following special features:
• The Making of Chéri (8:50): Includes an interview with the director, crew and the talent about the film, Colette and the set and costume design.
• Deleted Scenes: Two deleted scenes titled “Turpentine” (:21) and “Never” (1:49).
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