Chéri

The latest film from veteran director Stephen Frears reunites him with his Dangerous Liaisons writer Christopher Hampton and star Michelle Pfeiffer for a lush but frigid blend of a couple of Colette works about a retired prostitute and her young lover. The film’s fatal flaw: Zero chemistry exists between Pfeiffer’s worldly Lea and the pouty Rupert Friend—he’s like a poor man’s Orlando Bloom—as Chéri. Without tangible evidence of their allegedly deep connection, it’s tougher to appreciate the film’s actual charms, such as Darius Khondji’s deft cinematography, the luscious Belle Époque costuming, and a scenery-chomping Kathy Bates as Chéri’s mother and Lea’s frenemy. The gorgeous Pfeiffer does what she can with an uninvolving role that forces her to stifle her emotions. While there’s an interesting parallel to be drawn between an aging whore and a middle-age movie star, it’s trapped under frustrating layers of ice.