Constructive, intelligent reviews that don't bitterly bash Rob. We've got 3! :)
From Red (UK):
Putting aside his role of brooding Twilight heartthrob Edward Cullen, Robert Pattinson stars alongside a stellar cast in Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod’s Bel Ami.
Robert Pattinson plays Georges Duroy a 19th century soldier returning to Paris from the French army in Algeria. After bumping into Forestier (Philip Glenister), an old friend from Algeria, he is invited to his home for dinner where he meets the cream of Paris society including Forestier’s wife Madeleine (Uma Thurman).
Intent on bettering himself he uses his hits wit and charm to seduce Madeleine’s friends, the demure Madame Rousset (Kristin Scott Thomas) and the flirtatious Clotilde (Christina Ricci), to rise from poverty to wealth.
Manipulative and sexy, Bel Ami is the raunchy period drama that will make you re-think Robert Pattinson's acting abilities.
From Time Out (UK):
3 out 5 stars
Robert Pattinson steps into the shoes of antihero Georges Duroy for this lively if muddled adaptation of Guy de Maupassant’s 1885 novel, directed by Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod, known for their theatre company Cheek By Jowl. Duroy is a likeable rogue in a world of scoundrels, an ex-soldier on his uppers in Paris who crosses the threshold of the chattering classes when he meets an old acquaintance, journalist Charles Forestier (Philip Glenister), who introduces him to a web of high-class intrigue that stretches from the boardroom to the bedroom. It’s in the latter that Duroy excels, and he exercises his charms on Forestier’s wife Madeleine (Uma Thurman), and her two friends, fun-loving Clothilde (Christina Ricci) and older, vulnerable Madame Rousset (Kristin Scott Thomas), the wife of a powerful editor.
As a whirlwind of bonking and banquets, ‘Bel Ami’ is diverting and sometimes amusing, and Pattinson is adequate in the lead – pretty enough to convince as a womaniser but with enough of a hint of ambition and a moral vacuum behind the eyes. His scenes with Ricci have an attractive sense of abandon to them, but the other two women make little sense beyond superficial tics. There are serious themes afoot concerning backroom dealing in politics and media, but these are never brought out by Donnellan and Ormerod, who rush through the material with little time for thought and zero sense that anything is at stake. This ‘Bel Ami’ is spirited and sensible but little more than period fluff.
From fan, vampirefreak101, via RPattzGirl:
My Bel Ami review :) *spoilers*
LOVED it.
I'd read a few bad reviews and honestly was feeling apprehensive, but was pleasantly surprised as how good it was.
Robs acting is very good. He plays Georges very well. And he is in almost every scene.
Obviously this was filmed 2 years ago and i've noticed in the Twilight films that his acting has slowly improved. (So Cosmopolis should be brilliant!)
There are a few scenes with the lead actresses where their acting careers show, but Rob is getting better and better.
Rob is not always going to be 'gorgeous Rob' in every film and I was glad that there were some scenes where Georges is tired, desperate and battered. This helps to highlight Robs acting and not just his looks. (Tink: I love this note because I imagine Duroy battered and tired looking. A villain that is physically deteriorating and looks haggard from his evil doing. Not the pretty man we're used to.)
I loved every scene that Christina Ricci was in.
The sex scenes..well the scenes are very short and to be honest, although they convey Georges character and are important plot points, they're not pivotal scenes. They're snapshots. The longest scene, with Uma, is not sexy at all and is actually uncomfortable to watch. The scenes with Christina showing the passage of time is really well done.
The scene when Georges sits down at the table with all 3 of his conquests is hilarious. The smirk on his face is just perfect.
The directors of Bel Ami are theatre directors, and it shows, in a good way. Instead of feeling immersed in the story, you feel like you are merely an observer. This works really well for the context of the book/story.
I haven't read the book in a while so I can't compare the book to the film in exact detail, but the film definitely conveys the time period and Georges character brilliantly. The interwoven deceit of 'everyone out for themselves' mentality is spot on.
Well done to everyone involved in the making of Bel Ami !
P.S. Rob playing 'ball and cup' = <3
MSN UK felt Rob was miscast but the reviewer wasn't douchey. 2 out of 5 stars. Click HERE to read.
Did you miss our rep's unbiased review of Bel Ami from the London Screening yesterday? Click HERE to check it out!
Are you going to BAT4Rob? Click HERE for links ;)
So many fantastic Bel Ami goodies! You can always catch up with our Bel Ami tag :)
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