42
Metascore
25 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 60Total FilmTotal FilmA good-looking yet curiously tame adaptation of a saucy classic that showcases Pattinson's ambition if not his full abilities.
- 50ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliAt least the set design and costumes are excellent. The movie feels overstuffed and undercooked but it always looks nice.
- 50Slant MagazineNick SchagerSlant MagazineNick SchagerA coherent characterization of Robert Pattinson's striving schemer is nowhere to be found in this pedestrian period piece.
- 40EmpireOlly RichardsEmpireOlly RichardsEven with a strong cast to gild its endless chambers and salons, there's barely a spark of soul to fuel its story. Pattinson is no Malkovich either.
- 40The GuardianPeter BradshawThe GuardianPeter BradshawRobert 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.
- A flavorless literary adaptation sunk by a lead actor, screenwriter and co-directors that are all out of their depth.
- 40VarietyJustin ChangVarietyJustin Chang"I had no conception of the depths of your emptiness!" a character shrieks in Bel Ami, and her words take on an unintended resonance as addressed to Robert Pattinson in the lead role.
- 40Time OutKeith UhlichTime OutKeith UhlichThe satire rarely stings, as first-time feature directors Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod give a polite Masterpiece Theatre gloss to this most impolite of tales.
- 40Village VoiceVillage VoiceIts the ladies who are worth tracking here, from Ricci's understated sensuality to Thomas's fragile angularity. They've supplemented beauty with good old-fashioned acting chops, something their cover-boy co-star would be wise to emulate.