Oh, to live in a time when debauchery was its own excuse. Like the
1970s, or fin-de-siecle Paris, where this story—adapted from a pair
of books by French novelist Colette—is set. Frears and screenwriter
Christopher Hampton are reunited with star Michelle Pfeiffer, all of
whom shone in Dangerous Liaisons in 1988. Pfeiffer’s Lea is a
very successful but aging courtesan who falls for Rupert Friend’s
Chéri, the titular rake and indolent son of Kathy Bates’ Madame
Peloux, who is in the same business as Lea. Pfeiffer, the costumes and
sets are all dazzling, and the ending is effective, but the picture is
neither sexy nor involving enough to engage, and Chéri is so
sullen and petulant it’s hard to see why Lea finds him appealing.
This article appears in Nov 5-11, 2009.