Movie Review - Bel Ami

Bel Ami (2012)

Starring Robert Pattinson, Uma Thurman, Christina Ricci, and Kristin Scott Thomas

Directed by Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

The fundamental flaw of Bel Ami is simply that I cannot comprehend how women lust after the pale-faced, solemn, and emotionless Robert Pattinson.  I don't get this guy's appeal and considering that he plays a ladies' man intent on rising up the ranks of the Parisian bourgeois by seducing and sleeping with the wives of influential men, the film finds itself at a disadvantage in my eyes.  [It certainly doesn't help that when Pattinson is asked to do anything on an emotional front beyond being "vacant," he fails laughably.]

Somehow, though, the film isn't a complete failure despite a leading role that leaves much to be desired.  Plain and simple, Bel Ami is a sexually driven soap opera set in 1890's Paris with Pattinson's Georges Duroy running from lady (Christina Ricci) to lady (Uma Thurman) to lady (Kristin Scott Thomas), quenching his carnal desires.  Ultimately, though, Georges is simply using these women of high society to find out the dirt on their husbands so he can try and impress them since his lower status as a soldier recently returned home from duty carries no caché.  Set this film a century later and you'd find it on the Lifetime channel as a movie of the week because despite the attempts at throwing in some political brouhaha about a takeover of Morocco, there's nothing going on in Bel Ami except for people romping in the hay.

Now, there's certainly nothing wrong with frivolous fun and Bel Ami fits that bill at times which actually made this enjoyable to watch for the most part.  It's also adequately directed by two newcomers to the cinematic scene who don't do anything special, but certainly don't do anything wrong.  If Robert Pattinson hadn't been cast as the main character, this likely may have ranked a bit higher.  But as it stands now, the only things that make this worth watching are the over-the-top performances of Ricci, Thurman, and Scott Thomas, and despite not being the worst thing you could watch streaming on Netflix, there's certainly better things out there.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-