Chéri

At the age of 51, Michelle Pfeiffer is more than ready to play the role of a cougar… Well, so to speak. Although they had lovely euphemisms for such things in the early 1900s, the part of Lea de Lonval is essentially that – in modern-day speak.

A retired courtesan (again, what a lovely euphemism for prostitute), Lea (49) is left in charge of a strapping son of a fellow courtesan. Chéri, as he is known, is 25 and rather difficult to resist falling in love with – a cardinal no-no for any self-respecting lady of the night. What develops is a six-year affair fraught with constantly changing feelings and many pained expressions from Pfeiffer as she runs the gauntlet of emotions associated with being The Older Woman. The performances are beautifully nuanced and the classic story still very sexy, 100 years on.

Rating: 3.5 outta 5.