BEL AMI

UK, 2012, 102 minutes, Colour.
Robert Pattinson, Uma Thurman, Christina Ricci, Kristin Scott Thomas, Holliday Grainger, Colm Meaney, Philip Glenister, Pip Torrens.
Directed by Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod.

The story of a cad. Based on the story by Guy de Maupassant, and filmed in the 1940s with George Sanders in the title role, this is a film set in La Belle Epoque, Paris in the 1890s.

Georges Du Roy comes from a poor and illiterate family and has just spent five years as a soldier in Algeria. We see him looking in from the outside on the wine, women and song culture of the period. He is envious. However, out he goes and encounters, by chance, a fellow soldier who is now a journalist for a prominent Paris newspaper. He offers Georges an opportunity at a meal at his house. He meets the editor but he also meets three wives – and we know that his intentions are not honourable.

Georges is played by Robert Pattinson, which proves a contemporary difficulty, disengaging his character from Twilight’s Edward. The other difficulty is that Georges is a callow young man (empty as one of the women will later accuse him). He has a certain charm, a smiling charm, but his self-centred opportunism is not attractive at all. With the help of his benefactor’s wife, Madeleine (Uma Thurman), who dictates his first article, he succeeds at the newspaper but his laziness threatens to lose him his position and income.

In the meantime, he has taken up with one of the wives, Collette (CristinaRicci), bored with her husband and delighted to have an affair, and pay for a love nest, with Georges. He charms her young daughter who nicknames him Bel Ami, which is taken up by other characters. When Madeleine’s husband dies, he determines to marry her and does. Her enthusiasm for news research and reporting and the editor’s aim to bring down the government means that Georges is now contributing to the political action in Paris.

But, he is treated as a boy. His revenge is to seduce Virginie (Kristin Scott Thomas), the editor’s wife. She becomes besotted by him. He also takes up with Collette again.

When a political situation occurs, which means corruption and exploitation, Madeleine turns against him. In terms of the drama, this is hard to accept as Madeleine is drawn as a strong character with convictions, not likely to enter into easy dalliance or betray her principles.

But Bel Ami is not done yet and the final image is of the smug face of the complete cad who has manipulated his success.

Think in the vein of Dangerous Liaisons and Cheri.

1. The classic story? Guy de Maupassant? Previous versions?

2. The 1890s in Paris, La Belle Epoque, wealth and poverty, clubs, the nightlife and the social life, homes and apartments, the newspaper offices, the world of politics? Liaisons and morality? Sets, costumes, decor? The score?

3. The story of Georges? The background of his family, his father’s illiteracy, Georges going into the army, serving in Africa? The years in Africa? What to show for it? his looking in from the outside? Envy? His dingy apartment, getting dressed and going out, going into the club? The encounter with Charles? The drink? The invitation to dinner? Georges and his spending the money with the prostitute, later insulting her by ignoring her at the club? The dinner, meeting all the guests, not knowing what cutlery to use? The condescending attitude towards him? Opening up new worlds? How much luck? How much plan? The discussion about the article and the suggestion that he write about Africa and the war?

4. Madeleine, her personality, enthusiasm, relationship with her husband, the enthusiasm about the article, dictating the story? Its success? His getting money?

5. Madeleine’s advice about his relationships with women? Visiting Clotilde, playing with her little girl, the little girl calling him Bel Ami? The suggestion by Clotilde that they have a love nest? The effect? His love for Clotilde – or not? How self-centred? His laziness, not writing the article, the editor and the taunts, the reaction of the staff?

6. Charles and his illness, Georges being there when he died? His decision about Madeleine? His marrying her? As a couple, her enthusiasm, research, the political issues, the invasion of Morocco? Her dictating, his writing? His theory about the moustache – as a gimmick for articles? The editor and his accepting Georges, encouraging him? Georges’ success at the paper?

7. The parties, the cards, the editor not remembering his name, meeting Larouche? His involvement in the war? The politics?

8. The paper, the editor and his wanting to bring down the government? The use of Larouche and his information? The new government, Larouche as the minister for defence? The editor and his musings – that he brought the government down, Georges saying that they were not his words?

9. Virginie, her relationship with her husband? Her attraction to George? The gift of the pears? Chatting with the ladies? The long years of marriage? Going to the church? Georges and his seduction, taking her to the love nest, her passion? The affair and its effect? Her growing more desperate? Her giving Georges the information about the mines, the money, the invasion of Morocco, Larouche and the editor exploiting the situation?

10. Madeleine, the count, his visits on Tuesdays, Georges’ jealousy, despite his own double standards? The death of the count, the will, the conditions, Madeleine not wanting the money, Georges and his rationalising about the property and propriety?

11. Virginie and the information about Larouche and the editor? Their making money? His going to Madeleine? His attack on her – and her attack on him, calling him an empty man?

12. The continued relationship with Clotilde, his ability to tell the truth to Clotilde? Her tolerance?

13. Madeleine and her accepting the money, her relationship with Larouche – how consistent with the principles that she expressed earlier in the film? Her arrest and being held for adultery?

14. Georges and his decision to get revenge on the editor? His abducting Suzanne – and her going willingly? No sexual encounter? His return, his hold over the editor, Virginie and her being crushed? His persuading them to allow him to marry Suzanne?

15. The wedding ceremony – and everybody there, their judgment on him after their experiences with him? His final smile, smug, a cad and a libertine? And successful?