Cheri, a sumptuous, heart-rending delight of a film...

I was invited to see a screening of Cheri a couple of weeks ago. The new Stephen Frears film starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Friend and Kathy Bates. Lust. Seduction. Older woman. Younger man. Sex... I couldn't resist.

The film is written by Christopher Hampton, based on two novels by Colette. Ahhh...Colette. The naughty and risque novelist and sexual provocateur who published both Cheri and The Last of Cheri in the 1920s. Colette was quite the genius at both titillation and razor sharp wit, all mixed in with pathos.

It doesn't hurt that the film is beautifully shot in France, and the lush costumes and scenery are like treating yourself to a sumptuous dessert.

What a treat to see Michelle Pfeiffer in the role of Lea the ravishing courtesan with money and influence! She is still achingly beautiful, and in top form. Rupert Friend, who plays Cheri, is ...dare I say it, delicious.

The chemistry between Lea & Cheri is seductive. From the moment he enters onscreen, I was mesmerized. And when he utters the words..."Come here" to Lea just minutes after they've been reacquainted...well, the seat of my chair got a bit...hot. Their relationship is complicated. What starts out as a harmless romp soon turns into a love affair. And I was swept up.

The movie has a few twists and turns, and I found myself catching my breath in moments. The camera becomes the cruel eye of youth and there are flashes when it is on Lea and you can visibly see where this will end. Lea's life is in the past, and Cheri's is just beginning. But, they never expected to fall in love...

One of my favorite scenes is toward the end of the film when Lea is sitting down to tea with other aging courtesans. The camera follows her expression as she watches another courtesan flamboyantly flirting with a very young man. Many emotions float across her face, but we are left with her being overcome, disturbed and almost physically ill. She sees herself...and we feel it.

Despite feeling like I had to chain myself down to avoid rushing into the bathroom when I got home to rue every bit of age on my face... I loved this film! If you want to be transported to another time and place, and crave a good story, go treat yourself. Do.

And the younger man/older woman thing? Well, I never used to get that. Until ...now. Er...recant, RECANT...

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Movie still photographs courtesy of Miramax Films.

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Give me time travel, a fiery, passionate man in a kilt...

Apparently romance novel sales are up. It's not surprising. Given our current economy and that many people are up against challenges in their lives, a good romance sounds appealing. I used to be an avid reader of romance novels. My favorite genre was the historical romance. I loved being transported to a different time, when life seemed simpler. I was never one for Harlequin Romances, but a Bold, Breathless Love or a Shanna ...could take me away. No bubble bath needed. I miss those days, sometimes.

Then, I fell in love with the Outlander Series.

Give me time travel, a fiery, passionate man in a kilt and a strong, funny, intelligent heroine. It doesn't get better than that.

For several years, I wanted to be a romance novelist. I took a college extension course years ago on How to Write the Romance Novel. Greatly motivated at the time, a story started coming to me in outline scene form. I still have those notes. Perhaps it is time to dust them off and see what I can come up with...

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