Bel Ami (2012)

41% of critics liked it
(32 reviews)
80% want to see it
(4,037 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

CJ Johnson, ABC Radio (Australia)
Adapted from Guy de Maupassant's second novel, published in 1885, Bel Ami is a good film, with some very strong elements, let down rather tremendously by a seriously amiss piece of central casting.
Matthew Toomey, ABC Radio Brisbane
It's an interesting premise but sadly, Bel Ami is a film that underachieves. I found it a continual struggle to understand the mindset of each character.
Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
With such unsavory elements floating around the movie, it's strange how ephemeral its charms are. Instead of a lasting bite, Bel Ami is forgotten soon after consumption.
Simon Foster, sbs.com.au
...it finds its feet as a bed-hopping, back-stabbing guilty pleasure, and can be enjoyed sufficiently in that context.
Matthew Pejkovic, Matt's Movie Reviews
Bel Ami's journey from rags to riches and many warm beds in between has moments of tantalisation, yet is an overall flat experience.
Margaret Pomeranz, At the Movies (Australia)
It's a strange story, focusing as it does on a man with no moral compass whatsoever. But the design of the production and of the costumes is one of the film's assets.
Ed Gibbs, The Sunday Age
A trifle of a romp, strictly for Pattinson obsessives who can't hold out until November (when Twilight takes its final bow).
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.