Love in the 1920s

Chéri is a beautifully told love story with a Paris setting in the 1920s. It’s a blend of two novels,Chéri and the Last of Chéri by Colette and stars Michele Pfeiffer (Lea) a courtesan who lives in lavish surroundings but does not mix with upper society. Lea’s friends and confidants are other ladies of the evening, one of which is Charlotte played by Kathy Bates. Chéri is the name of Charlotte’s son played by Rupert Friend who is soon to coming of age and gets a little nudge from his mother. Lea is asked to take Chéri for a weekend visit in the countryside and he takes such delight in his new lover that he ends up staying six years.

The director is Stephen Frears, "The Queen" who has adapted this film from two novels. He has taken each characters’ emotions and molded them into a tale of spellbinding fixation. The look is elegant, the script is cultured, the grasp of the rigid social structures are all in place. Michelle Pfeiffer is stunningly beautiful and certainly, a delight for all to view. The role suits her and she carries it with a refined elegance and soft-spoken nuances. Here gestures are minute at times, but say so much about a scene. Pfeiffer really is mesmerizing to view on screen. Two rules that courtesans try to follow: 1) Never fall in love with your suitor and 2) Never reveal your true feelings. Unfortunately Lea fails number one and number two becomes her biggest regret.

Chéri, which means darling, is caught in a web that he can’t escape as he has fallen for Lea. ‘Mother’ has other plans as she’d like Grandchildren and Lea is too old. The drama shifts from blissful happiness to dismay and confusion as Chéri attempts a new life in an arranged marriage. As one can imagine, the situation becomes unbearable and Chéri is an emotional mess. He longs for the lazy days with his older mistress who is wise and enchanting. He also can’t bear to think of her in another’s arms. He constantly begs his mother for any information about his past love and she coyly gives him only tiny tidbits.

Each character’s emotional drama is played out in small gestures and nuances such as a nod of the head or a rolling of the eyes or a longing gaze. The pace is slow and intriguing.  Director, Frears paces his actors with ease and care; they are simply fascinating to watch. Michelle Pfeiffer shines in this role. At one point, she does break down but quickly gets herself together as her feelings are never to be shown to any of her lovers, although the audience is fully aware of what is happening.

The French countryside is filmed with breathtaking scenes as the gardens and details are all shown as accents to enrich the flavor of the film. The Paris restaurant scene is also noteworthy as we view the 1920s style and fashion of that era. Again, illustrious!

Bottom-line, this is a different, sad, love story that has a great script and rich characters to view. The drama is high and so are the stakes, but that’s what makes it so intriguing.

Sarah Adamson © 2009