CS Weekly Archive > Weekend Read > 7/10/09

Love, Interrupted

By peter clines

Chéri

Christopher Hampton
Based on the novel by Colette

Chéri (Rupert Friend) is the solipsistic son of a retired courtesan (Kathy Bates) in turn-of-the-century France who discovers his six-year affair with "auntie" Lea (Michelle Pfeiffer) is ending with an arranged marriage to Edmee (Felicity Jones), the daughter of another courtesan. While the immature Chéri grudgingly accepts that he finally must grow up, Lea comes to the awful realization that she's just grown old. True to its origins as an impressionist novel, there's not much of a story to Chéri. To be honest, the signs of its conclusion are written on the wall from the start in bold letters. Instead, Christopher Hampton (Atonement) has brought out the novel's true heart—a dark character piece, one that brushes against the lighter elements of romance to emphasize negative ones like obsession, unrequited love, and abandonment. The pacing lags at points because of this, but there's no denying the brutal honesty of two characters like Lea and Chéri. She's never included love in her life-spanning business plan, and he simply has no idea how to deal with the emotion. The result is a film that shows two tragic, emotionally stunted figures made even more pathetic by their inability to communicate their emotions to each other. It's not exactly enjoyable to watch, but it's hard not to have a car-accident-like fascination with it.

Chéri
Miramax
Rated R; 100 min.

Peter Clines grew up in the Stephen King fallout zone of Maine and made his first writing sale at age 17 to a local newspaper. He currently lives somewhere in southern California, and can often be found ranting on his cleverly named blog, Writer on Writing. His first novel, Ex-Heroes, will be released in fall 2009.



Chéri courtesy Miramax

From the Trenches
Working screenwriters discuss in their own words a particular aspect of screenwriting, from the mechanics of writing to the personal and professional impact that writing has had on their lives. > VIEW ARCHIVE

The Big Picture

Features that cover all aspects of screenwriting, from our "Seven Best" lists to analysis of old favorites and new classics. > VIEW ARCHIVE

Weekend Read
Film, book, web site and technology reviews from a writer’s perspective. How can these items help a writer on his or her journey, or make that journey more enjoyable? > VIEW ARCHIVE

DVD Review of the Day
DVD reviews from a writer’s point of view. What aspects of this script and features of this DVD illuminate the writing, development, and storytelling process? > VIEW ARCHIVE