Frears revels in the painted silks and hothouse flowers of the era ... Friend often seems carved from alabaster... Pfeiffer is ... [t]rue to Colette's vision ... alternately steely and pliable, willing to bend yet unable to break.
Cheri (2009)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
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,... 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, CHERI paints a picture of the romance between young Chéri (Rupert Friend) and retired courtesan Léa (Michelle Pfeiffer). Chéri’s mother (Kathy Bates), a rival of Léa, plots to separate the pair by arranging a marriage between her son and Edmée (Felicity Jones). Screenwriter Christopher Hampton previously collaborated with the director on DANGEROUS LIAISONS. [More]
Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathy Bates, Rupert Friend, Felicity Jones
Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathy Bates, Rupert Friend, Felicity Jones, Frances Tomelty
Director: Stephen Frears
Director: Stephen Frears
Screenwriter: Christopher Hampton
Producer: Bill Kenwright, Andras Hamori, Tracey Seaward, Thom Mount
Composer: Alexandre Desplat
Studio: Miramax Films
Reviews for Cheri
Frears and Hampton are never able to balance the dramatic and comic elements, and the film feels dour and unpleasant.
A movie like Cheri needs the time and space of The Age of Innocence. Instead, it's rushed along in an hour and 40 minutes.
It's all about the wicked game of seduction, but there's a distinct unease about Pfeiffer's performance that permeates and dilutes this sophisticated yet poignant concept.
There's no depth to the surface machinations, no sense that the central romance features fully formed individuals connecting on an elemental level.
Lacks the precision and control of this same team's randy vicious Dangerous Liaisons but thanks to the lead actors, it stings and lingers
Thanks to a radiant performance from Michelle Pfeiffer, 'Chéri' occasionally overcomes a storyline that never quite develops momentum.
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.
If I conclude that the film is ultimately a touch on the trivial side, I do not believe that I am accusing it of anything that the filmmakers didn't intend it to be.
I had to drag David kicking and screaming to see this film. What he doesn't understand is that I find films such as "Cheri" lush and sumptuous.
Purportedly a tale of seething emotions, Cheri almost never registers love or anguish. It’s banal.
These two lovebirds are playfully mismatched, and that's just why they fall for each other.
If ever there was a role to be cast based solely on looks, it's Colette's Chéri.
Michelle Pfeiffer is quite good, but the script leaves Kathy Bates -- talented as she is -- with a bit of a cartoonish performance.
While Chéri occasionally plods along, Pfeiffer and Friend make up for those flaws by creating a passionate sexual chemistry on screen.
Latest News for Cheri
June 25, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Transformers 2 Is Less Than Meets The Eye
This week at the movies, we've got robots in disguise (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, starring Megan Fox and Shia LaBeouf) and a family in disrepair (My Sister's Keeper,... More...
April 19, 2009:
Trailer & Poster review ![]()
More...
More Movies
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 70% 70% | Where the Wild Things Are | 03/12 |
| 83% 83% | Paranormal Activity | 03/12 |
| 89% 89% | Zombieland | 03/12 |
| 76% 76% | The Informant! | 03/12 |
| | The Strength of Water | 03/12 |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Cheri at Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh Links
Featured

We've got 20 copies of the hit TV series' Pilot Episode to giveaway.

TIME offers us a closer look at the characters from the latest Twilight film.

The New Matilda's Lynden Barber looks at the recent success of low-budget sci-fi -- and asks the question.

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.
Competitions

Enough Prequel, Original Trilogy and Family Guy DVDs to fill a space cruiser

Everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace could be yours.

We're giving away the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, plus Braveheart and the Rocky collection



Top Critic

