Bel Ami (2012)

40% of critics liked it
(25 reviews)
84% want to see it
(3,404 ratings)

Bel Ami is the story of Georges Duroy, who travels through 1890s Paris, from cockroach ridden garrets to opulent salons, using his wits and powers of seduction to rise from poverty to wealth, from a prostitute's embrace to passionate trysts with wealthy beauties, in a world where politics and media… More Bel Ami is the story of Georges Duroy, who travels through 1890s Paris, from cockroach ridden garrets to opulent salons, using his wits and powers of seduction to rise from poverty to wealth, from a prostitute's embrace to passionate trysts with wealthy beauties, in a world where politics and media jostle for influence, where sex is power and celebrity an obsession. -- (C) Magnolia

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 42 min.
Directed By: Declan Donnellan, Nick Ormerod
Written By: Guy de Maupassant, Rachel Bennette
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Jun 8, 2012 Limited
Studio: Magnolia Pictures

Critic Reviews

Blake Howard, 2UE That Movie Show
Bel Ami is a patchwork that on close inspection reveals clunky segues, odd characterisations, disjointed character motivations and curious narrative pacing in its craftsmanship.
Andrew L. Urban, Urban Cinefile
Guy de Maupassant's elegant writing, economical but effective characterisations and sharp story telling skills are not much in evidence in this rather clumsy adaptation
Louise Keller, Urban Cinefile
He might have fangs in Twilight, but here, heartthrob Robert Pattinson has bitten off more than he can chew, unable to spit out the easy confidence required of a man whose passport to success bears the stamp of sex, lies and adultery
Philip French, Observer [UK]
Something is missing, and that is Maupassant's acute and detailed social observation.
Kate Muir, Times [UK]
A cornucopia of cleavages and lingering close-ups of Robert Pattinson's trouser department. For some readers, that may be a strong recommendation. Others may find this version of Guy de Maupassant's 19th-century novel unintentionally hilarious.
Graham Young, Birmingham Mail
Robert Pattinson is proof some guys have all the luck!
Tim Robey, Daily Telegraph
Nothing deepens; no one gets interesting; and we end right back where we started - not averse to R. Pattz per se, but wondering if this particular vehicle is quite the thing.
Alex Zane, Sun Online
Despite a strong cast, Bel Ami fails to make a lasting impression - other than to leave you wondering if you've been watching a costume drama or a comic farce.
Mark Adams, Daily Mirror [UK]
A charming cad romances women useful to his social ambitions in 19th Century Paris.
Christopher Tookey, Daily Mail [UK]
Georges is nowhere near likeable enough to make us enjoy his successes, and by the end he's no more corrupt than he was at the start.
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
Robert Pattinson has to do an awful lot of hollow-eyed smouldering in this hammily enunciated French period drama, taken from the 1885 novel by Guy de Maupassant.
Henry Fitzherbert, Daily Express
The picture is handsomely staged and easy-on-the-eye but never establishes a fluent pace or tone, while the general point of the story escaped me.
Nigel Andrews, Financial Times
The directors give the story a barbed conviction and the female players, especially, act to the hilt.
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher
Welcome to the costume-drama equivalent of Project X, celebrating misogyny and male sociopathy as just the way things are, and what else can ya expect from the world?
, Film4
A brooding tale of sex and scheming that is brought to life by its cast. More playful than you might expect, it's still a deliciously dark period piece that stays true to the tone of the novel.
Emma Paterson, Little White Lies
More fair-weather friend than fine friend.