GFF: Bel Ami

So this adaptation of a young man in 19th century Paris who climbs his way up the social ladder by sleeping around with the wives of the rich is the only preview I saw at this year's Glasgow Film Festival that had a packed audience. You would think that such a premise, while no doubt lacking in a substantial plot, would at least make up for this in style, however this is not the case.

Bel Ami is completely hollow. Although boasting an A-list cast: Robert Pattinson as Georges and his lovers played by Christina Ricci, Uma Thurman and Kristen Scott Thomas, the performances are awful. Pattinson's pouting and sneering is just too much and Thurman's accent is cringe worthy, it was hard to distinguish whether she was attempting an English or French dialect. This role just didn't seem to fit the Mia Wallace actress.

I was unsure how the audience was meant to feel towards Georges...obviously he is a cad but that was where it ended. There was simply not enough of a plot to engage with these characters. Period dramas on the lives of the bourgeoisie can be very entertaining but unfortunately Bel Ami just falls flat.

I have read many glowing reviews of the fantastic costumes and sets, this makes me think I saw a different film. All the female leads spent most of the duration of the film in the same dresses and there was nothing to indicate set wise that this was meant to be set in Paris - the directors did say at the screening that their budget was too small to allow shooting in the city.

This film will appeal to the female market but for no reason other than to see a semi-naked R-Patz, however this is even worse than Breaking Dawn: Part 1 so some may be disappointed.

1/5