Léa has just ended her last affair and is contemplating leaving the courtesan life behind and retiring in great style. She invites Chéri to come to her house in Normandy to get away from it all with her and they fall in love. He stays with her for six years until his mother, wanting grandchildren, arranges a marriage with the daughter of another courtesan. Being ripped apart sends them both into despair; Léa heads to Biarritz to try and move on while Chéri is on his honeymoon in Italy, but neither can get over the other. When Léa finally returns to Paris, Chéri comes to her, but only for her to talk him into doing what must be done and return to his marriage.

Chéri is adapted from the novel by the Colette, who no doubt based it on her own scandalous affair with her stepson. The period it is set in is one of great excess where the “famous” courtesans lived a life that makes the celebrities of today look downright modest. The clothes, houses and locations in the movie are gorgeous, especially Léa’s Art Nouveau home in Paris.

Directed by Stephen Frears (Dangerous Liaisons, The Grifters), Chéri is both very funny and quite sad, just the right balance for a romance. Rent it and stay in with a nice bottle of French wine.

Chéri was released in 2009.

Of course, any woman who is to be Queen of England is bait for the royal houses of Europe and soon enough Leopold of Belgium is sending his nephews to pay her a visit in hopes of uniting their houses and gaining some political leverage. Happily, young Albert (Rupert Friend) takes a shine to his cousin Victoria and the attraction is mutual. And while the politics of her life swirl around her, they flirt, write and finally get married. And at its core that is what The Young Victoria is all about — a great love. History has many proofs of Victoria’s undying devotion for Albert; the Albert Hall is just one of many monuments she dedicated to him after he died.

The first part of The Young Victoria may seem like a lot of exposition, and if you’ve watched many movies about the monarchy, it might seem a bit clichéd. But once Albert enters the picture, the film picks up. He takes her out of her proscribed life and gives her some joy. They make a happy, lovely couple. Albert is serious, thoughtful, smart and the kind of man Victoria needs. But of course, having been controlled by people her whole life, she doesn’t give him power easily. The film only covers the first part of their lives together. One only wonders what happened next.

Emily Blunt is wonderful as Victoria, displaying small hints of her inner personality while staying in her role as the young princess/queen; she takes the required arm down the stairs, but defiantly hops with both feet at the last step. And Rupert Friend gives Albert a warmth below his seriousness that makes him endearing. I would recommend this to people who enjoy a period piece, or those who would like a peek inside the palaces of British royalty. It is a nice love story, too.

For the historically accurate view click here.