Christina Ricci, Robert Pattinson, Bel Ami
"’I had no conception of the depths of your emptiness!’ a character shrieks in Bel Ami, and her words take on an unintended resonance as addressed to Robert Pattinson in the lead role," says Justin Chang in his Variety review of Bel Ami, which had its official World Premiere earlier today at the Berlin Film Festival. [Watch Bel Ami trailer.]
"Displaying little in the way of wily self-assurance, charisma or gravitas," Chang continues, "the Twilight Saga heartthrob doesn’t exactly invigorate this flailing English-language adaptation of Guy de Maupassant’s much-filmed novel about a handsome scoundrel seducing his way up the social ladder in 19th-century Paris."
Further down in his review, Chang adds the following about Pattinson’s performance as the cunning, pathologically ambitious Georges Duroy:
"But it’s one thing to embody a moral void, quite another to look merely vacant, and in scene after scene, Pattinson registers a visible strain in negotiating the character’s shifts from slick, droll charm to animal-like desperation and thwarted rage. The sort of self-styled gentleman who should theoretically be able to stroll into a room and mesmerize everyone in it by sheer force of personality, this Duroy instead seems to be constantly referring to mental notes from ‘Ladykilling for Dummies’ as he mystifyingly wends his way into the sympathies of three well-married women."
So far, I’ve only watched Bel Ami’s "extended scenes" — a 12-minute series of clips posted online about a week ago. Needless to say, it’s impossible to judge a feature film by that. Yet, my first impression of Bel Ami was highly positive. Pattinson looked perfectly convincing both in terms of looks and demeanor as Duroy, while Kristin Scott Thomas was flawless in her two scenes as the older woman who falls for the wily younger man (Chang found Scott Thomas "wincingly miscast.")
Anyhow, bad Variety review or no, Bel Ami remains one of my most eagerly anticipated movies of 2012. Part of the reason is the cast, particularly Pattinson and Scott Thomas; but I’m also curious to see how screenwriter Rachel Bennette and first-time (film) directors Nick Ormerod and Declan Donnellan have transferred Guy de Maupassant’s novel to the screen. And whether in terms of its theme and characters (i.e., shameless sex/seduction) and setting, the fact that Bel Ami isn’t a Hollywood production is a plus as far as I’m concerned. Indeed, Ormerod and Donnellan’s movie does look good. That’s another plus.
In addition to Pattinson and Scott Thomas, the Bel Ami cast features Uma Thurman, Christina Ricci, Colm Meaney, Natalie Tena, Holliday Grainger, Pip Torrens, James Lance, and Todd Peterson. Bel Ami has already been shown at special screenings in several Belgian cities. It’ll be featured at the Glasgow Film Festival later this month, and it opens in the United Kingdom on March 9. A US release date — via Sony Pictures Classics — remains up in the air.
As mentioned elsewhere on this site, Robert Pattinson should be seen again later this year in two more movies: David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis, which also features Sara Gadon, Kevin Durand, Juliette Binoche, Samantha Morton, Paul Giamatti, Mathieu Amalric, and Jay Baruchel; and Bill Condon’s The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, the last installment in the Twilight Saga franchise. Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner co-star alongside Pattinson. The supporting cast includes Ashley Greene, Dakota Fanning, Jackson Rathbone, Elizabeth Reaser, Peter Facinelli, Nikki Reed, Michael Sheen, Julia Jones, Booboo Stewart, and many others.
Wrapping this up, let me just say that I wish someone would remove the word "gravitas" from the dictionary. It’s just about impossible to find a review of anything — from movies to dishwashing soap — without that damn word popping up somewhere.
@ Sharona I Agree 100% ! The U.S. is waiting for Bel Ami. What is up with Sony anyway?? Many sites, as IMDb have the release date as TODAY, Yet no information is available from Sony Pictures. I am sure the movie will make them a Bundle, so many Pattinson fans are waiting for it! Are they waiting to release it right before Breaking Dawn 2 in Nov.?? R Pattinson also has Cosmopolis coming out in 2012…WHAT ARE THEY WAITING FOR?????
I am at a complete loss as to why Sony Pictures have the rights to Bel Ami yet for some reason seem to refuse to give out even a release date for this film in the US. Why are they holding back? What is the problem? All other countries are showing release dates yet Sony is just completely ignoring it. If they have no plans to release it in the US, why don’t they sell the rights to another studio? There are MANY of us in the US who are dying to see this film!!!! What’s going on???
Let’s continue to encourage critics to elevate the conversation. Reviews which reference performance using the words “emptiness” and “ladykilling for dummies” does no one any good, except maybe the author giving self-referential praise to himself for cleverness. I think everyone should give more thought to the time, money, and effort which is put into movie making. Expectations be damned, (for Rob Pattinson), isn’t there a learning curve for most actors and actresses? Rob is already a beloved man, he would not have received many accolades without some degree of talent and likability. Rob is sexually attractive to many, the perceptions are based on physical attraction or qualities in the context in which they appear. His image is also inspiring, due to qualities like boldness, authenticity and presence. Bel Ami has to be worthwhile for the historical, period piece that it is. Rob Pattinson has said that french literature is his favorite; I would think that fact would influcence his effort to make Bel Ami true to the book, and enjoyable on screen. He should be commended for stretching (not doing only romantic comedies) and treated with respect. Also remember that movies are a collaborative endeavor, the directors were inexperienced, camera angles not the best and the script could have been impoved.
It sad that Critics are completly ignoring the fact that Rob played George exactly how George was in the Book. Lynnette is right…I personally wish Critics would read the Book before they make a review..I also would like Rob to play a character, not based on a Book. Wonder what critics would say than
One last note before I get banned from this site lol
At the Bel ami press conference in Berlin a french speaking canadien journaliste who’s an expert in Guy de Maupassant’s literary work and who has given several classes about Bel ami has congratulated the panel for the authenticity of the movie qua story, setting and characters (mentioned Georges!).
She didn’t need to do this, she could just present herself and ask her question. She did it because she meant what she said.
That was a big compliment for the film makers and the actors.
@ Lynette Perkes.
I wholeheartedly agree with your vision on Georges Duroy. Unfortunately my aknowledge of English is too limited to express myself as eloquently as you did.
When, in my comment, I spoke about the opposite thoughts and feelings of Georges I ment what you wrote. He was constantly trying to learn how to behave in the high society, taking nasty comments in the beginning but rancunously (right sp?) taking revenge afterwards.
I’m afraid many critics will look at the movie the same way Chang did.
The problem with Robert Pattinson is that he plays his roles so natural that critics think that it’s him, not his character. He performed ‘wooden’ in Twilight while it was the character Edward who acted restraint all the time.
In WFE Rob was also ‘too quiet, also wooden’ but his character Jacob was quiet, observatif.
Now it will be this. lol
It is true though that there is a slight overacting sometimes, but I notice this in the performances of many actors, even the big ones.
Acting is a continue learning process, for actors and their directors.
Gravitas isn’t the only word that should be banned lol.
What keeps bothering me in such named professional reviews is the continually refering to former works of the actors. In case of Robert Pattinson it’s the Twilight references and the sneers to the Twilight teen audience.
Robert Pattinson has a huge adult fanbase of which the majority, surprisingly enough LOL, is well educated. Apart from his good looks they most of all appreciate his intelligence and humble, gentle personality.
That said, I’ve read the book and I’ve seen the movie. I liked the adaptation very much, It stayed true to the book and the setting in Belle Epoque Paris was done very beautifully.
The character of Georges Duroy can be discussed to no end, depending of each reader’s perception of him. For me Rob performed well the different, often opposite thoughts and feelings of Georges, which isn’t easy to bring on screen for an audience that might not have read the book. And he did it convincingly IMO.
The fact that at the age of 23 he prefered to take the lead in a risky adaptation of a french classic instead of choosing the superficial romcoms deserve respect.
We all know though that Rob will have to pay for his sudden succes and unwillingly sex-symbol status. For many critics he will have to earn his place in HW and that will take time.
I don’t agree with the miscasting of Kristen ST, I thought she was wonderful in her role as devote, neurotic lady, so madly in love with the one man who makes her feel a real woman.
The movie isn’t flawless as no movie is, when put under a microscope. The fact that it’s the director’s first movie can explain why there might be a bit overacting now and then. Donellan is known for his theatratical work and that’s a whole different matter than working with camera’s. On stage actors have to overact for the distant audience, a camera doesn’t need this.
I forgive him, he did a good job by staying true to the story, ending included.
Cineuropa gave an excellent review of Bel ami and I agree much more with their point of views that with the ones I’ve read from American reviews thus far.
Chang seems to have completely missed the story arc. Duroy is not “the sort of self-styled gentleman who should theorietically be able to to stroll into a room and mesmerize everyone in it……” Not at the start. He is a very young working-class man, barely educated, suddenly thrown into upper class society whose complex ways he does not understand. He’s trying to cross a social chasm almost impossible to bridge, in nineteenth century Europe, with no preparation whatever. He doesn’t know what upper-class dinner conversation should consist of, let alone which fork to use. He’s winging it every second. Chang complains that “He seems to be constantly referring to mental notes from “Ladykilling for dummies.” That is EXACTLY what George Duroy is doing. He’s inventing himself as he goes along, doing what he imagines a ladykiller would do. Even after he gains more experience , he keeps finding he didn’t really understand what was going on–that the people he thinks he’s scamming have conned him, instead. Pattison was playing the complex character the movie was actually about, not the simplistic lounge lizard Chang wanted him to play.
CRITICS WILL NOT PAN COSMOPOLIS-IF DIRECTOR CRONENBERG THINKS ACTOR ROBERT PATTINSON IS A GREAT ACCTOR THEN HE IS.ROBERT PATTINSON NEEDED THE RIGHT ROLE WITH THE RIGHT DIRECTOR TO SHOW OFF HIS ACTING CHOPS. MOVIE BEL AMI AS FILMED WHEN HE WAS JUST 23-ADULT AUDIENCES WILL LOVE BEL AMI-IT WILL BE A SUCCESS IN THE US -AND ABROAD-ACTOR ROBERT PATTINSON HAS A HUGH ADULT FAN BASE .