SYNOPSIS:
Indulge in Cheri, the seductive and provocative drama about a scandalous love affair, set during the opulent decadence of pre-World War I Paris starring award winners Michelle Pfeiffer and Kathy Bates (Best Actress Oscar, Misery, 1990). The ravishing Lea (Pfeiffer), famed courtesan to the rich and famous, is contemplating her retirement, when her archrival (Bates) asks her to teach her spoiled nineteen-year-old son Cheri about women.
It's an adventure that becomes a heated and passionate affair that results in power struggles over sex, money, age and society- and unexpectedly, love itself- as a boy who refuses to grow up collides with a women who realizes she cannot stay young forever.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Michelle Pfeiffer makes a delightfully charming return to her first lead role in almost seven years, playing the French courtesan Lea de Lonval at the twilight of her successful career. Based on the novels Cheri and The Last of Cheri by the novelist Colette, the film tells of the November-May romance of Cheri and the dashing 19-year old Fred (Rupert Fiend), whom Lea nicknames Cheri (or 'darling' in French), over six years and the consequence it has on their lives.
This romance begins when, at the behest of his mother and a good friend, Charlotte Peloux (Kathy Bates), Lea takes in Cheri to teach him the art of lovemaking. But their six-year union turns out to be more than just another frivolous fling- though they will only realise it after Cheri's mother arranges his marriage to Edmee (Felicity Jones), the 18-year old daughter of a former courtesan. Do Lea and Cheri love each other? Is it the reason their separation becomes so unbearable for both of them? We're not entirely sure- and neither do we think do Lea and Cheri know.
Theirs is a relationship beset by the nature of their profession- Lea and Cheri are both people who have learnt to live at a distance from their real feelings, to be heartless because their profession calls for them to be. And though both of them sense a deep mutual connection for each other, they do not dare or accept that what they share between them could very well be love. Indeed, such liaisons would certainly be dangerous in their line of work.
Once again therefore, Pfeiffer returns to her "Dangerous Liaisons" in more ways than one- "Cheri" reunites her with "Liaisons" director Stephen Frears and screenwriter Christopher Hampton. Instead of sappy melodrama, Hampton has chosen to keep the dialogue droll and witty. Hampton's sharply written script gives much leeway for the actors to play around, and whether Pfeiffer, Bates or Fiend seem to be enjoying themselves tremendously trading barbs at one another.
But "Cheri" proves to be more than just a period comedy when it begins to reflect on the delicateness of Lea's occupation. Nowhere is this more apparent than when Lea, standing beside her bed and gently ruffling the sheets, turns musingly to her long-time maid and remarks: "This has always been my business. And the customers are all gone." Through Lea's vulnerabilities, Hampton makes it known that for people of Lea's profession, it is not only beauty that is ephemeral, but also youth.
Cheri on the other hand represents the young man who refuses to accept the responsibilities of manhood, who prefers to have the best of both worlds than to make the difficult decisions, who ultimately exerts the cost of his indecision on the people who love him and care very much for him. It is to Frears' credit that each of their individual predicaments are so fleshed out, allowing the audience to empathise with both Lea and Cheri. That said, one hopes that Frears could have elaborated a little more on the passion between Lea and Cheri to allow their subsequent separation to have greater bearing.
Still, thanks to Pfeiffer's fabulous return to form, "Cheri" is a mesmerizing comedy of manners that will captivate you throughout. Also worthy of mention are the decadent sets and the costumes which lushly evoke the high life of Belle Époque. All the film asks is for you to sit back, make yourself a cup of tea, and savour this delectably lavish confection. And why not? I guarantee you’ll enjoy it immensely.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
NIL.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 2.0 is pristine while the excellent visual transfer brings out the hues in the film beautifully.
MOVIE RATING:
 
DVD
RATING :
Review
by Gabriel Chong
Posted
on 2 May 2010
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