Hi everyone!
This new Robert Pattinson (Twilight, Water for Elephants) vehicle is based on Guy de Maupassant's classic novel "Bel Ami." It tells the often sordid story of young Georges Duroy (Pattinson), a French soldier recently returned to Paris from fighting in Algeria circa 1890. Penniless and living in a rundown cockroach-infested garret with no clear aim in life, Georges reunites with a former army superior, Charles Forestier (Philip Glenister), who takes pity on him and introduces him to his family and Parisian upper-class society, most notably perhaps Forestier's wife, Madeleine (the lovely Uma Thurman). Under Madeleine's tutelage, Georges begins writing a series of articles for a Parisian paper owned by a newspaper tycoon named Rousset (played with blustering efficacy by Colm Meaney). Rousset's faithful and somewhat saintly wife Virginie (an excellent Kristin Scott Thomas) becomes hopelessly smitten by the young Georges, for which she will be rather ruthlessly shamed and punished. Add to this mix is Clothilde (a fetching Christina Ricci), a young married woman who also falls under Georges's charm.
The story itself is not all that surprising though it does contain several twists and turns and an ending that is altogether fitting but feels rushed and rather tacked on. I think this has less to do with the quality of its original source material than the film-maker's need to compress a lengthy novel into under two hours. The further Georges is enmeshed in society, the greedier and more heartless he becomes, using each of these women and casting them aside when they are no longer of use to him. I have not read Maupassant's novel so I cannot attest to the overall faithfulness of this adaptation but I daresay what gets lost in the translation is any attempt at psychological development of these characters, particularly Georges who merely becomes more and more unlikeable as the story progresses.
Still, there is much to recommend, not the least of which is Mr. Pattinson's performance. He should have a long career once Twilight finally wraps up with the release of "Breaking Dawn: Part Two," in November, a franchise that should be credited for making a star out of Mr. Pattinson without really requiring him to put his acting chops to the test. With last year's "Water for Elephants" and now "Bel Ami," Mr. Pattinson proves that he is a quite gifted actor and much more than just another pretty face, though in "Bel Ami" he looks just this side of tubercular. As the women Georges loves and then casts aside, Uma Thurman, Christina Ricci, and (in particular) Kristin Scott Thomas are wonderful. There is a moment toward the end where Ms. Scott Thomas renders her pain and desperation with little more than the subtle expression on her face. We realize at this moment that Virginie is a woman who has experienced no true passion or happiness in her marriage and as a result of her indiscretion, she is rendered utterly lost, her spirit destroyed. It is painful, if not a little uncomfortable, to watch.
Also to be commended is the film's attention to period detail. "Bel Ami" manages to look both sordid and splendid, portraying as it does the parallel universes in which Georges exists, never truly at ease in either. Viewers unfamiliar with the history of France's occupation of Algeria and Morocco may want to bone up on their knowledge of French colonial history. Given the film's rather breathless pace, there is a bit of an assumption here that the facts of France's invasion of Morocco are already known to the audience which does the narrative a disservice.
All in all, "Bel Ami" is a good though not great film. Pattinson's considerable 'tween' fan base are not going to like this movie and, in fact, will probably be bored by it. (Not to mention the fact that the film carries an R rating for some fleeting though graphic sexual content and nudity.) But those adult viewers who enjoy period films and a sweeping narrative with strong performances by a formidable trio of renowned actresses, "Bel Ami" provides a nice two-hour diversion.
"Bel Ami" is currently available for purchase On Demand before its U.S. theatrical release in June.
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