Who Plays Who?

Michelle Pfeiffer Kathy Bates Rupert Friend Felicity Jones Frances Tomelty Anita Pallenberg Harriet Walter Iben Hjejle Bette Bourne Gaye Brown Tom Burke Natasha Cashman Andras Hamori Toby Kebbell Nichola McAuliffe Joe Sheridan Hubert Tellegen Jack Walker Rollo Weeks Stephen Frears

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Lea de Lonval Madame Peloux Cheri Edmee Rose La Copine La Loupiote Marie Laure Baronne Lilli Vicomte Desmond Mme Roland Otto Patron Mme Aldonza Marcel Ernest Monsieur Roland Guido Narrator

The Inside Story Christopher Hampton, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter behind "Dangerous Liaisons", was developing a screenplay about the renowned French author Colette (1873–1954) when he began adapting her most famous novel Chéri. Written in 1920, it told the story of the doomed love affair between Léa de Lonval, one of the most celebrated courtesans of the day, and Chéri, the young son of an old colleague and rival. "Colette has always been one of my favourite writers and I got very interested in doing the Colette life story because she had a tyranical older husband and ran away to become a striptease artiste," says Hampton. "Colette is loved and admired because she writes in a very individual and personal way and writes very sensitively about women. With some writers you don’t need to research much but Colette was fascinating and it was a pleasure to read her other works." It was the love story theme of Chéri that proved such an irresistible attraction for Hampton. "It’s a story of two people who have no idea that they’re in love with each other," he says of the film’s protagonists. "Léa thinks she’ll educate this younger boy and then pass him on a wiser man, and Chéri thinks he’s landed on his feet with a beautiful woman taking care of him until it’s time for him to move on. They know there’s an end point to their relationship. But when it arrives they both realise that they will miss each other very badly. A rather heroic act by Léa liberates Chéri and lets him go but at great cost to herself. You suspect he won’t recover too well either." Of course, the early 1900s milieu in which the story is set was another draw for the writer. "This is a fascinating world, this demi-monde, which at the end of 19th century reached its peak but was approaching its decline at time of the story in 1906," says Hampton. "This was a corner of society, the courtesans, who had amassed spectacular wealth. They had to stick together because they were shunned from the rest of society but they had very interesting lives, they were very cultivated and they were unlike any contemporary group you can think of. There was something very modern about this group in one respect because they were emancipated women." After various false starts, Hampton discovered that Bill Kenwright, top UK theatre impresario, had optioned the rights, just as Kenwright himself was about to approach Hampton to tackle his long-gestating screen adaptation. "Christopher Hampton was my first choice to adapt the novel," says Kenwright. "His first draft was wonderful but it was a real battle to get it onto the screen because it’s a costume drama, because it’s such a simple, focused story, because it’s so tragic and I would have thought mostly because the world of the Courtesan is probably not one that contemporary audiences know a lot about." It was Stephen Frears’ involvement that finally brought the project together at the end of 2007. The director was riding high thanks to "The Queen" which not only won lead Helen Mirren an Academy Award for Best Actress but also became a worldwide hit for Miramax. He was approached by Kenwright and agreed to come on board within twenty four hours of reading the screenplay. Frears was attracted to the project partly because of Hampton’s evocative screenplay but also because it was a chance to explore an era some one hundred years removed from "The Queen". "Christopher’s script was wonderful and Colette is a brilliant writer and the story seemed very fresh to me," he said. "It’s so beautiful, so old-fashioned and so frivolous and yet also so melancholic and tragic, and at the same time very clever. That’s because Colette was such a clever writer. She’s an impressionist." For a director who says he finds making films "very difficult", Frears ("Mrs Henderson Presents" & "Dirty Pretty Things") won the admiration of the whole cast and crew. "I like working with him very much. I soon learnt that it was very unusual for a director to have the writer there: it’s too dangerous to have a boring pedant there all the time picking holes in what’s going on, but Stephen’s different," 1989 Oscar ® winning writer Hampton ("Dangerous Liaisons") notes. "There’s an enormous depth and generosity to his collaborativeness. He has a very subtle approach when a scene isn’t working, when a scene is too long, or something doesn’t work." Bill Kenwright C.B.E. acknowleged Frears also lived up to all his expectations. "I was huge fan of Stephen’s (two of my favourite films are "The Grifters" and "Hi-Lo Country") and it was a thrill to work with him. You’re blessed when you find someone like Stephen; I knew he could make the film work. He was very painstaking and focused and was meticulous about the mood of the film. Really, he’s a master." With Frears helming, Kenwright was able to secure backing from two key partners, Pathe and Miramax Films. But the key to making the film succeed was finding the right actors for the roles of Léa de Lonval and Chéri. Casting Léa proved a unique challenge. The filmmakers knew there were few actresses who had the qualities they were looking for as a woman in her fourties who was naturally beautiful and sensually charismatic. One name, however, was the perfect fit and she had already worked with Frears and Hampton: Michelle Pfeiffer, whose haunting performance in "Dangerous Liaisons" garned the actress the first of her three Academy ® Award nominations (1989, '90 & '93). "She’s unnerving, as though being that beautiful contains its own tragic quality," Frears offered. But it was not just her mesmerising screen presence and looks that made her ideal for the part. Her performance captures exactly the spirit of the novel. "Michelle took a chance doing this. The character could be played in several ways but Michelle’s subtlety and vulnerability is astonishing," Kenwright ("Don't Go Breaking My Heart") said. For her part, the three time Blockbuster Entertainment 'Favourite Actress' Award winner (1996, '97 & 2001) required very little persuading to board the project. "It was the thought of working again with Stephen and Christopher that appealed so much,' says Pfeiffer ("The Age of Innocence" & "Hairspray"). "Really, I’d do anything with Stephen and when I read the script and the novel, I was thrilled to be involved." Working with Christopher Hampton also proved a powerful draw for the 1990 Golden Globe winner ("The Fabulous Baker Boys"). "Christopher’s writing is so beautiful, but it’s also unbelievably challenging particularly for Americans. We talk in a flat monotone and Christopher’s writing is dense and wordy and has a very different rhythm to it. I found that breaking it down into iambic really helped in getting the rhythm and cadence right." One challenge of the film was Frears working methods. "We didn’t rehearse," she revealed. "We would only rehearse on the day of shooting so it was a really tough process but it’s the way Stephen worked. It got really difficult when the script changed at last minute." The role of Chéri was another challenge. The role called for an actor who could convincingly look nineteen years old at the start of the film and who could imbue the role with a quality audiences could sympathise with. Frears auditioned several American actors but it was British newcomer Rupert Friend who convinced as a young man at once virile but sensitive, cocky but vulnerable, a young boy who gradually matures into a man. By taking the role, Friend ("Mrs Palfrey at The Claremont" & "The Libertine") became another in a long line of budding actors on whom Frears has taken a punt and who have gone on to international stardom, including Chiwetel Ejiofor ("Dirty Pretty Things"), Michael Sheen ("The Deal"), Jack Black ("High Fidelity") and Daniel Day-Lewis ("My Beautiful Laundrette"). "Chéri is nineteen years old when the story stars," says 2005 Satellite Award winner Friend, "and is carefree, spoilt and untroubled but he’s a callow young man and his mother knows that he needs to learn the qualities that will help him get on; refinement, conversation, etiquette. Léa has many years of experience and can teach him and not pander to his selfishness." Finding the key to the character provided its own challenges for Friend. "There’s something elusive about Chéri. And there’s also a sense of enormous apathy about him; he’s very passive. That makes it very hard: if you’re trying to find what’s driving someone and the answer is nothing, it makes it much harder to get a handle on the character: harder, but very rewarding when you find it." As for working with such a formidable line-up of talent, Friend says: "I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was quite frightening acting with Michelle Pfeiffer and Kathy Bates." "Rupert is so young but so very smart," says Pfeiffer. "He was a gentleman all through the shoot, especially during the more challenging scenes, and if he was nervous, he hid it very well." Working with Stephen Frears also proved a particular pleasure, he says. "Stephen was perfect for Colette because both have an incredible wit and a love of dry humour. They’re both always looking for a wry angle." For the role of Chéri’s mother, the filmmakers approached Kathy Bates. The three time American Comedy Awards winner (1997, '99 & 2000) and of course, the 1991 Oscar ® winning Best Actress for her role as Annie Wilkes in "Misery", jumped at the chance to portray the larger than life Madame Peloux who has become bitter in middle-age but still remains a comic character because of her catty bitchiness. "As soon as Kathy’s name came up, I knew she had the humour to do it," Frears recalls. "Filmmaking is about assembling a group of people who fit together; you’re trying to get the picture right, so everyone is making the same film. And I knew Kathy would fit." Bates, a two time Golden Globe winner ("Misery" & TV's "The Late Shift") explained: "These courtesans had become very powerful, influential and rich. The story is set towards the end of their heyday and, like many of her peers, Madame Peloux is no longer working and so is very money-conscious. She uses Léa, with whom she’s always had a fierce rivalry, and her own son to gets what she wants, which is money. She may give Léa a line about wanting grandchildren but it’s really all about money so she will be comfortable in her dotage." Rounding out the cast are Felicity Jones ("Brideshead Revisited") as Edmée, Chéri’s young wife who pragmatically decides to make a success of her marriage and finds in Chéri someone who understands her background; 2003 Zulu Award winner Iben Hjejle ("Manden bag døren") as Edmée’s cold-hearted courtesan mother Marie-Laure; and Anita Pallenberg (the mother of Keith Richards son Marlon) as a former courtesan and madame of an opium den. Frears insists he relies entirely on his cinematographer and production and costume designers for how the film will look. "He says he knows nothing about the music or the design? He’s lying!," says composer Alexandre Desplat. 'tephen has a great intuition of what the movie is aiming for and he knows exactly what will work when they’re put together." The Verdict "Definately a film for the 'mature' set or those who can truly appreciate the beauty of a film which is sensual but not overtly sexual; is dramatic yet has its lighter moments; is tragic, beautifully filmed, scored exceptionally well and features two mature actress who (in an industry obsessed with nubile young actresses), show they both still have their acting chops. Younger cinemagoers, unless they are romantics at heart or 'love tragics', will, in all probability, find "Cheri" a tad boring, where-as mature film fans with longer attention span will, like a dry sponge, soak every moment of the film. Alexandre Desplat (2007 Golden Globe winner for "The Painted Veil") has composed a score that fits like a glove. "Cheri" marks cinematographer Darius Khondji's first collaboration with Frears. His work truly captures the mood and the era beautifully. Of his experience he noted: "this film was much more exciting to be involved with than others I’ve worked on." All the main players, Pfeiffer, Bates, Friend and Jones give noteworthy performances. Friend certainly won my admiration for his role as Cheri. It would have been a difficult task for any actor but Frears definately picked the right one for this role. And, credit must be given to Felicity Jones who audiences last saw playing Lady Cordelia Flyte in "Brideshead Revisted". Bates as as always, is most enjoyable to watch, but this film is first and foremost about aging courtesan Lea de Lonval and her relationship with Cheri. Still beautifull and alluring, Pfeiffer (who nearly upstaged everyone as Velma Von Tussle in "Hairspray"), is the perfect actress for this role. 3 1/2 STARS." Synopsis

By the turn of the 20th century, Paris had enjoyed several years as the most fashionable city in Europe and it was the destination of choice for the world’s richest and most powerful people. It was also famous for its courtesans, women so beautiful, witty and expert in the art of love-making that Crown Princes, Grand Dukes and captains of industry from all over Europe competed for their favours: favours that came at a price. This is the story of the love affair between the beautiful retired courtesan Léa de Lonval and Chéri, the son of her old colleague and rival, Mme Peloux. Léa has educated the spoilt and callow boy in the ways of love, but after six years Mme Peloux has secretly arranged a marriage between Chéri and Edmée, daughter of another rich courtesan, Marie Laure. As the inevitable moment of their parting approaches, Léa and Chéri must come to terms with their imminent parting. But their life of ease and pleasure reaches deeper than they imagine. Too late they realize how much they mean to one another.

What Do The Critics Say

"A frothily appealing condensation of two famous novels by the French author Colette, Cheri marks a welcome reunion for the creative trio that brought you the classic 1989 camp-fest Dangerous Liaisons. The intense chemistry between Pfeiffer and Friend is what really elevates Cheri above the sum of its slender parts. The comedic component of Colette’s writing comes to the fore very strongly whenever the blusterly Madame Peloux enters the fray." Leigh Paatsch HERALD SUN "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." Kenneth Turan LOS ANGELES TIMES "Pfeiffer and Friend are captivating in every scene they share." David Kaplan KAPLAN V KAPLAN "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." Jeanne Kaplan KAPLAN V KAPLAN "The last film by British director Stephen Frears to hit Australian cinemas was The Queen (2006), with Helen Mirren as a traditionalist monarch forced to adjust to changing times. This equally entertaining follow-up is another character study of a 'grande dame' faced with her own impending obsolescence. Stretching 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." Jake Wilson THE AGE

"Though she’s costarred opposite younger men in her last three films, Michelle Pfeiffer has candidly complained about being tagged with the term "cougar." And who could blame her? She may be over fifty, but surely age is irrelevant when you look as good as she does. Like the exquisite costumes, the scenery is as gorgeous as most of the cast, providing the perfect backdrop for some unabashed escapism. the movie’s shallow amusements do make for an ideal guilty pleasure, especially since the actors seem to be having so much fun." Elizabeth Weitzman NEW YORK DAILY NEWS "At 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. She embodies the fragility of an ageing beauty who has dealt with the pretence of love all her life but came to the real thing too late." Margaret Pomeranz ABC AT THE MOVIES "Sex, money and power are at the heart of the story in Cheri. What's not to like?" Liz Braun JAM! MOVIES "This wonderfully gifted actress, whose beauty has sometimes distracted from her abilities, here makes Cheri something rare and haunting." Moira MacDonald SEATTLE TIMES "The challenge here is to make a film in which the protagonists frequently say one thing and feel another. It's a film which has to work on two levels, and it does. Pfeiffer conveys this brilliantly while looking tormentingly beautiful in a series of designer gowns. Thanks to her work and that of Friend's indolent and confused Cheri, the film packs a powerful emotional punch." Julie Rigg MOVIE TIME ABC NATIONAL

The Production Team

Director Screenplay From the novels Producers Original Music Cinematography Film Editor Casting Production Designer Art Direction Set Decoration Costume Designer

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Stephen Frears Christopher Hampton "Chéri" and "The Last of Chéri" Andras Hamori/Bill Kenwright/Thom Mount/Tracey Seaward Alexandre Desplat Darius Khondji Lucia Zucchetti Victoria Thomas Alan MacDonald Denis Schnegg Judy Farr & Véronique Melery Consolata Boyle

Run Time 86 minutes Rated PG[AUST] ©2009 - Icon Distribution - All Rights Reserved ©1999-2009 All Rights Reserved The Movie Pages - Protected by Australian & International Copyright. Trademark laws applied.