The film is a comedy of manners with a powerful undercurrent of tragedy. Cheri is funny, sad and charming, and the ending may shock you.
Comment
07/28/09
Cheri (2009)
54
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:116
Fresh:63
Rotten:53
Average Rating:5.7/10
Consensus: A too-short script and a romance lacking in heat detracts from an otherwise haughty charmer.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Jul 23, 2009 Wide
US Box Office: $2,643,292
Synopsis: Stephen Frears, director of THE QUEEN and HIGH FIDELITY, continues to demonstrate his genre-defying talent with this adaptation of a Colette novel. Set in Paris in the years before World War I,... [More]
Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathy Bates, Rupert Friend, Felicity Jones
Director: Stephen Frears
Reviews for Cheri
Top CriticWhile it's not likely to be as admired as much as his Dangerous Liaisons, Frears - who is heard as the narrator - has given audiences an elegant treat that's easy to escape into, and there are skilful performances by the entire ensemble.
07/22/09
Top CriticStretching out like a cat on the wide screen, Michelle Pfeiffer shows off her durable glamour in the star role of Lea de Lonval, a high-class courtesan in pre-World War I France.
07/24/09
Top CriticThe intense chemistry between Pfeiffer and Friend is what really elevates Cheri above the sum of its slender parts.
07/22/09
Top CriticIf the devil is in the detail, this is a devil of a film
07/16/09
Top CriticAt the centre of this film is the luminous Pfeiffer who knows only too well the ravages of time in an industry where youth and beauty are so valued.
07/22/09
Top CriticRemember Boyle and MacDonald's names: you'll be hearing them a lot when awards season comes around.
07/24/09
Top CriticA disappointing script lets down the film despite its lavish costuming and consummate cast.
07/22/09
Top CriticSadly the few good elements of Cheri only serve to highlight the films considerable inadequacies, and the only bedroom-based action it will inspire is a comforting nap, possibly before the end of the film.
07/27/09
Top CriticStellar cast, topnotch director, impressive design%u2014all the components for a rich satisfying movie, but without a compelling story it's somewhat forgettable.
06/26/09
Chéri is a very enjoyable and fascinating cinematic experience. Despite being set almost a century ago, the movie's central themes are very relevant to our age-obsessed contemporary society.
05/08/09
Clever, charming, and slightly superficial, Cheri is the kind of pert period piece that gets by on a great deal of creative goodwill.
10/22/09
Frears takes Hampton's wet-lipped hint and bathes the film in a booze-soaked haze of opulence and intolerance, employing masterful cinematographer Darius Khondji to deliver bold images.
06/25/09
Cheri may be too leisurely paced for the Fast & Furious and Terminator Salvation crowd. But if you're in the mood for a warm bath rather than a quick shower, you might find this bittersweet period piece quite moving.
06/26/09
Cheri radiates quality in every department, and - whether it's popular or not - this splendid achievement establishes him as one of Britain's very best film producers.
05/08/09
Cheri, like the character, is an entertaining bauble without much on its mind.
06/26/09
Top CriticChéri is a sad, intelligent film about coming of age late in life, looking in the mirror and wondering, "What happened?"
06/26/09
Thanks to a radiant performance from Michelle Pfeiffer, 'Chéri' occasionally overcomes a storyline that never quite develops momentum.
07/01/09
Pfeiffer and Friend are captivating in every scene they share.
06/30/09
Chéri looks a real treat, which is half the battle. It may not quite give the measure of Colette, nor Frears at his absolute best, but you don’t have to look at it through rose-tinted glasses to luxuriate in its splendour.
05/08/09
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