The main problem with the film, however is that Pattinson is not really a character. He's a jerk that the audience is somehow supposed to root for but he walks and talks exactly like a zombie. Also, the women in the movie including good actresses such as Uma Thurman, Christina Ricci, and the always reliable Kristin Scott Thomas are just eye candy for the men in the audience. This is to say that Pattinson is eye candy for the women, but at least the females in this film act alive. Pattinson obviously has a good actor in him somewhere, but what he doesn't understand is that he can't escape the Twilight saga by acting like Edward Cullen in ancient times. He has to pull a Daniel Radcliffe and give a completely different performance from his most well known character.
Also, the film fails at even looking like a period piece. While some characters are dressed old fashioned as if they were actually in early London..some of the characters are dressed too fancy and more importantly modern to feel as if they are in a period piece. For example, a failed attempt at a steamy scene between Thurman and Pattinson features Thurman in an old fashioned dress while Pattinson is dressed in a modern day suit that obviously wasn't invented until somewhere in the 1900's.
The film never quite gets off the ground...expecting the audience to feel every little emotion without actually giving us anything to be emotional about. The actors are dull, the script is lazy and the direction is unbearably bleak. Bel Ami is a good film if you want to see a naked Ricci or if you want to see Pattinson's butt for a second, but for nothing more.
(1 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for some strong sexuality, nudity, and brief language)
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