Well worn out tale about a boy/young man and his long term affair with a mature woman, in this case a rich, retired French prostitute. How many times are they going to film this version of the old May/September(pick your months)romance, all the while trying to make it as fresh as the first time told so many years ago? After hundreds of versions, I wish they would stop. It has been done to death. I was bored after the first 20 minutes and it did not change for me. This was a draggy version with not much sensible reasoning to anything, and the same type of stylish but over-scripted scenes just went on and on and on with no interesting variation to them. This tale has surely been done much better many times.
The film was beautifully shot, with wonderful period sets and costuming. The acting was mostly noteworthy, especially that of the marvelous Kathy Bates, who played the spoiled, selfish and immature boy's loving and cheerful mother. Michelle Pfeiffer played the retired "courtesan" lover with her usual reserved detachment, but her aged watery and bloodshot eyes throughout made me think she was perhaps too old for the role. This movie was the type of vehicle that used to be made for Julie Christie forty or so years ago, as it displayed Pfeiffer adoringly from every angle like she was the Mona Lisa. Just like those old Christie films, this indulgent style has seen its day and is now outdated.
I attended this film to please my wife, but will never see this same old story again no matter if Stanley Kubrick comes back from the dead to film it and my wife threatens to leave me if I don't go with her. I've had it. Put this story out to pasture with some dignity left like you would do with an old horse.................. please?
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