CHERI
CHERI is the pet name of the character played by Rupert Friend, a foppish early 20th century spoiled late teen. He is so named by his mother’s friend Lea de Lonval (Michelle Pfeiffer). Both women know each other from long gone days in the theatre. Both now keep themselves in the manner to which they have become accustomed by manipulating the stock market although their venture capital came from manipulating men. Mother is Madame Peloux (Kathy Bates) clearly to whom the years have not been as kind as to Lea. The affection between Cheri and Lea drifts into a summer/winter love affair that stretches into 6 years but comes to an abrupt stop when Madame Peloux has designs on grandchildren resulting in an arranged marriage for Cheri that doesn’t involve Lea. Despite pining for one another, neither will let on their sense of loss to the other. Cheri is so popular a story in France it was filmed for TV three times after the original movie from 1950 but Anglicized it loses something in the translation. En Francais Cheri is a term of endearment but here it’s a bit of a misnomer no matter whom it applies to since none of the characters are very endearing