Bel Ami
June. 08,2012 RGeorges Duroy travels through 1890s Paris, from cockroach ridden garrets to opulent salons, using his wits and powers of seduction to rise from poverty to wealth, from a prostitute’s embrace to passionate trysts with wealthy beauties, in a world where politics and media jostle for influence, where sex is power and celebrity an obsession.
Similar titles
You May Also Like
Reviews
Very Cool!!!
Too many fans seem to be blown away
Absolutely Brilliant!
Absolutely brilliant
Bel Ami, a 2012 film starring Robert Pattinson, Uma Thurman and Christina Ricci, is one film you won't be sorry you missed if you simply choose not to watch it. In all retrospect, it's not a bad movie. The plot is believable and interesting, the characters are all pretty well rounded without too much depth and the sets are very beautiful. However, Robert Pattinson is quite a miscast. It is very obvious the entire film that he is detached and sorely lacking in some true emotions. Seeing as how he is the star, it is pretty boring watching him mildly act his way through a film that has real potential.If you are going to see the movie, definitely expect the female performances to be the highlight. Uma Thurman was splendid. She plays a very uptight and work-driven socialite who is a firm believer in her freedom and she plays it very well. Kristin Scott Thomas is another delightful addition to this film. With not as much screen time as the other leading ladies, she manages to act out some pretty emotional and intense scenes. The real gem is the only truly likable character in the film, Christina Ricci. Her energetic and very believable character honestly is the reason I give this film a 5 instead of a 4. She was so sweet and lovable, I found myself smiling at every scene she appeared on the screen.If you are going to see this movie, see it for Christina Ricci, with Uma Thurman and Kristin Scott Thomas as a plus...
Veteran stage-directors Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod's debut is an underrated classic. Stella performances from an eye-popping cast (and in Uma Thurman's case some fairly eye popping wardrobe too.) Kirsten Scott-Thomas playing against type in a at once hilarious and terrifying portrayal and Thurman and Ricci no less good playing the hero's other potential love matches. But it's Pattinson who is the revelation, in his first really serious role, beginning his movements into more interesting territory such as the Cronenberg collaboration. Sadly at the time of writing Pattinson hasn't quite managed to break free of his fantasy origins in the manner of someone like Daniel Radcliffe, but this outing shows that he has the potential should he continue to chose his work wisely.What strikes one so clearly is how stuffed full of life this adaptation is. Whether it's the exuberance of the débutant directors or simply just a canny eye for the details, every extra, every inch of every scene is alive with the sort of movement and vitality which is often so woefully missing from this sort of work. Instead one gets the sense that if the camera were to turn the other way, and look into a different office, street, boudoir or brothel room, then life would still be going on just as richly.Perfectly captured too is the book's wry comedic tone, a cutting satire which at once delights and also chills, exposing the ever present malaise wrought by over privilege and those who are "on- the-make."It's no surprise that Bel Ami is shown endlessly in continental Europe and Russia, although strangely neglected by UK and US TV. I suspect that once Donnellan/Ormerod's oeuvre is better known by Anglo-Saxon audiences (are they making another movie soon?) then Bel Ami will take it's rightful place on TV schedules and on-demand...
'Bel Ami' means 'Beautiful Friend' in French which was based on more than 100 years-old French novel of the same name. It tells the story of a poor ex soldier who is promised to get him a new and better job in Paris by his ex army fellow. Actually he's not meant for that job but the way he uses his new friends to accomplish his fortune is the rest of the story.There is a quote that we all know very well which says 'Never judge a book by its cover' and it's a perfect match for this title, don't judge this movie after reading rating and reviews from movie database sites. It is better than what they have said, of course the theme was influenced by adult relationships, secret affair and sex. But the way it was handled was nice I mean I am saying it was not disturbing story on that topic.The movie had a fine cast, everyone was up to their best. The cinematography was fine, the costumes were very nice, of course performances were excellent and I still don't know what let the movie fall apart as far the critics concern. For me it was a fine piece of period drama with good story and presentation.
I'm one of the few (straight) guys in the world that actually enjoys Robert Pattinson's movies - not a Twilight fan by any means but just because he did those movies does not label him as a bad actor in my book. I enjoyed some of his other movies including "Remember Me" and "Water for Elephants". Also I like him because I think he separates himself well from the Twilight films well, he doesn't seem to milk his popularity from those movies, he is always working on new projects. With that being said I seen this movie on Showtime and decided to give it a shot. Bel Ami, the name of the movie and the main character, is about a low-life, poor guy that makes his way up in the world by seducing women of powerful, rich men.First off the positives - the soundtrack, camera work, and overall aesthetics of the movie are great. The wardrobe is attractive and convincing, the set design is nice, and overall the visuals were nice. Secondly the acting was great. Robert Pattinson put on a convincing show with good drama acting while supporting roles by the legendary DS9 actor Colm Meaney and actresses like Christina Ricci and Uma Thurman were nothing short of great.Now for the big flop - the "story telling" of the movie. I'm not sure it's the story itself - more so the movie felt like it was "pasted" together in Apple Movie Editor Pro. It didn't feel like the story was told in a good way. The story is hard to understand, some parts of the movie felt rushed, other parts felt too slow. For such a great cast with a great list of actors the storyline just wasn't told in a convincing and conclusive way. I think this movie would be better understood by those who read the book that supposedly exist for "Bel Ami".Overall I'm disappointed by this movie. This could have been a great, underdog low-budget film. It seemed like it was heading that direction, but by the end the story just wasn't told in a great way. Worth a watch if you haven't seen it already but I would wait for the bargain bin edition if you want to pick up a physical copy. Below average film unfortunately.