Bel Ami

Magnolia Pictures | Release Date: June 8, 2012

7.7	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 62 Ratings

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dierregiJul 23, 2014

Being uninterested in Pattinson as a vampire, teenage heart-throb, I thought myself unbiased and ready to appreciate his acting skills. Unfortunately, this movie did not reveal any such talent.

Pattinson plays Georges Duroy, a pennilessBeing uninterested in Pattinson as a vampire, teenage heart-throb, I thought myself unbiased and ready to appreciate his acting skills. Unfortunately, this movie did not reveal any such talent.

Pattinson plays Georges Duroy, a penniless ex-NCO, who seduces and manipulates rich women despite a complete lack of wit or endowments. Besides not showing any of the charisma required by the part, Pattinson's rough features add further hindrance.

The role would have suited an actor of refined handsomeness, to make the contrast with Georges personality even more striking. What we get instead is Pattinson's boxer nose, coupled with a flat delivery of his lines. It makes it hard to believe that so many women would find him irresistible.

The story follows Duroy meeting in a brothel Forestier, a former comrade. For reasons impossible to understand, Forestier invites him to dinner and ends up offering Georges a job. During this dinner Georges meets three women willing to be manipulated like puppets, despite the fact that they all seem smarter than Georges.

The first is Clotilde is a rich, dizzy married woman, who just wants to be Georges lover at all costs. For their first sexual encounter, Georges invites her to his squalid abode and Clotilde decides to rent an expensive love nest to continue their relationship.

Madeleine is Forestier's wife, played by Thurman. She is an independent, clever woman who ends up marrying Georges, although she has absolutely no reason whatsoever to do so. Their relation is completely inexplicable.

Mme Rousset, played by Scott Thomas, is a middle aged married woman who loses her head for the completely charm-free Georges. The seduction scene that involves the two of them is cringe-inducing.

Finally, a fourth woman also falls for Georges, making the whole movie a sequel of sexual encounters strangely lacking any passion. Not bad for a boy who would hardly get a second glance, but incredibly tedious as a movie plot… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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tom23holdenJun 8, 2012

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie! It will not be everybodys cup of tea but I love this type of movie! I have read the book and think they did a very solid adaptation. As usual Robert Pattinson has received a lot of undue criticism. He wasI thoroughly enjoyed this movie! It will not be everybodys cup of tea but I love this type of movie! I have read the book and think they did a very solid adaptation. As usual Robert Pattinson has received a lot of undue criticism. He was exactly how I pictured the character in the book. A cad who is completely out of his depth in high society where he craves to be. He did a great job. I hope some day critics will get over their aversion to Twilight and just judge a performance without baggage. Honestly I see no other reason for the harsh reviews here.… Expand

4 of 6 users found this helpful42

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martyflowersJun 8, 2012

Pattinson was actually very good in this movie!! The only acting down fall that I could see was Uma Therman but it was not enough to take from the story.

3 of 5 users found this helpful32

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ND45MinesJun 8, 2012

Good story and nicely shot. I was convinced by all the actors. They could have perhaps explained certain things a bit more but I still enjoyed it as a movie. I would recommend it.

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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billiecoldJun 8, 2012

I loved it!!!!!! Don't know why it was so harshly judged! Maybe it is not for everybody but it should be judged on achievement and ambition and not on taste!!!

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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MegWhiteleyJun 9, 2012

Bel Ami, the new movie of the twilight star Robert Pattinson, ok the movie is good, have an amazing trama, and the performances are good, in some moments the trama is boring, but the rest is great. Bel Ami is a good movie.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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