Romantic period piece is Pfeiffer’s best role in years

Michelle Pfeiffer plays a rich courtesan who teaches Rupert Friend about women, relationships and true love in 'Cheri.'

Though Stephen Frears’ Cheri, which opens Friday, will get most of its attention for the exactness of its turn-of-the-century clothing, set designs and language, the film’s real value comes in its exploration of aging and class issues.

It is based on the novels Cheri and The Last of Cheri by the French author Colette, who was (to put it mildly) light years ahead of her time in her understanding of the male ego, social hypocrisy and their dual impact on women. Whether it’s France in the 1900s or America in 2009, women and men always seem to look at these things through different lenses.

Lea (Michelle Pfeiffer in one of her best roles in years) is a rich courtesan, but one who’s now getting older and currently lacks a court. Her old friend Charlotte (Kathy Bates) has a son Cheri (Rupert Friend) whom Charlotte would like to see get some seasoning in terms of women and relationship.

The times being what they are, Charlotte cannot come out and say this, of course, and she’s even having to hide the nature of her friendship with Lea. But Lea accepts the challenge and begins a most unusual relationship with Cheri.

Neither Colette’s books nor Frears’ treatment romanticizes this situation. Lea is dictating the entire situation, and while it becomes clear that she does have real feelings for Cheri, the two don’t exactly agree on the meaning of love. Plus, while Charlotte may like Lea as a sexual trainer, she’s not pushing for Lea to become a permanent member of the household. She eventually expects her son to choose a wife from an “appropriate” background and move on with his life.

But things don’t quite work out as expected for anyone. Lea finds that making the cold-blooded split is a little harder than she envisioned, while Cheri is torn between real love and what’s deemed his rightful place in society. The ending is anything but predictable (except for those who’ve read the novels) and actually does well in keeping with Colette’s rather fatalist view of the world and the different ways men and women view it.

Because the author was quite a radical figure (a bisexual music hall performer whose exploits included marrying a prominent French journalist and then having an affair with his stepson), she had plenty of source material that she utilized in Cheri.

Frears (who serves as narrator) and writers Laura Jones and Christopher Hampton also stayed true to Colette’s vision, while Pfeiffer and Friend are excellent together on screen. Bates, as well as Bette Bourne, Iben Hieile, Nichola McAuliffe, Frances Tomelty and Harriet Walter, are also outstanding.

As period pieces go, Cheri proves one of the better ones, even though at various times almost every major character displays less than endearing traits or acts in a very selfish fashion.

Cheri
Directed by: Stephen Frears
Written by: Christopher Hampton and Laura Jones
Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathy Bates, Rupert Friend, Bette Bourne, Iben Hjejle, Nicola McAuliffe, Anita Pallenberg, Frances Tomelty
Time: 100 minutes
Rating: R
Our view: A nice period piece venture that's elevated by strong acting, good casting and a storyline that doesn't veer far from the cynicism and despair in the author's original stories.