Stephen Frears directs this romantic drama set in 1920s Paris, based on the novel by Colette. Michelle Pfeiffer stars as Lea de Lonval, a famed courtesan on the verge of retirement. At the request of her former colleague and rival Madame Peloux (Kathy Bates), Lea agrees to spend a few weeks initiating Peloux's 19-year-old playboy son Cheri (Rupert Friend) into the ways of love. However, their liaison unexpectedly blossoms into a full-blown romance, and the infuriated Peloux takes her revenge by forcing her son to end his passionate affair and marry a wealthy young woman.