Michelle Pfeiffer & Rupert Friend in the movie Cheri. Movie Review & Trailer. Find out what is happening in Film visit iHaveNet.com

Michelle Pfeiffer is back, and her appearance in "Cheri" underlines not only how much she has been missed but also how much the world of film has lost by her absence.

Of course, Pfeiffer has not literally been gone since her last substantial dramatic role in "White Oleander," but the parts she has taken on have not done justice to her abilities.

For though she looks lovely, Pfeiffer has gotten to that time of life that Hollywood regards as dangerous from a box office point of view.

So it is more than a little coincidental that "Cheri," directed by the always reliable Stephen Frears, happens to be about a woman whose increasing age is also problematic. Lea de Lonval is not a movie star, however, but a courtesan on the cusp of retirement.

Taken from a pair of 1920s novels by Colette, "Cheri" introduces us to a group of high-class prostitutes who achieved wealth and celebrity but were unable to make friends or any kind of life outside their profession.

Pfeiffer's Lea is a member in good standing of this group, and at age 49 thinking of getting out of the game.

But Lea reckons without the machinations of her frenemy and fellow courtesan Charlotte Peloux (Kathy Bates).

Charlotte's 19-year-old wastrel son Fred (Rupert Friend), familiarly known as Cheri, is spending his life in nonstop debauchery, and his scheming mother would like nothing better than to have Lea, who has known Cheri since he was a child, romantically take him off her hands.

This comes to pass, and to the astonishment of all involved, especially Lea and Cheri, this supposed brief affair lasts six years.

As shot by the expert Darius Khondji, "Cheri" makes the most of its French locations and settings (Alan MacDonald was the production designer), including airy Art Nouveau homes and brooding "Merchant Ivory: The Brothel Years" interiors.

Pfeiffer and Friend also have excellent onscreen chemistry. Yet all this aside, it is inescapable that the early parts of "Cheri" have a quality of banality to them, with both "that child will be the death of me" dialogue and uninvolving acting leading us to wonder what all the fuss is about.

But then something happens to force Lea and Cheri to consider if they've inadvertently entered into the most dangerous liaison of all, if they've broken the unspoken commandment in their world and actually fallen in love.

The resulting schemes and intrigues and the emotional dynamics that follow in their wake bring "Cheri" to life.

They also add a deeper, more moving level to Pfeiffer's performance.

Especially effective are the wordless scenes that catch Lea unawares, with the camera alone seeing the despair and regret she hides from the world. It's the kind of refined, delicate acting Pfeiffer does so well, and it's a further reminder of how much we've missed her since she's been away.

Cheri MPAA rating: R (for some sexual content and brief drug use).

Running time: 1:32.

Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer (Lea De Lonval); Rupert Friend (Cheri); Kathy Bates (Madame Peloux); Felicity Jones (Edmee).

Directed by Stephen Frears; written by Christopher Hampton;

Produced by Bill Kenwright, Andras Hamori and Tracey Seaward.

A Miramax Films release.

 

Cheri Movie Review - Michelle Pfeiffer & Rupert Friend

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