Cheri *** 1/2 ( 3 1/2 STARS) In this exquisite adaptation, Michelle Pfeiffer and Rupert Friend play two voluptuaries - an aging courtesan and the son of one of her friends. They don't realize how deeply they have fallen in love, and they break up without realizing what it will do to them. Pfeiffer provides a rare sensual depiction of maturity; director Stephen Frears conjures a world where anything goes as long as the environment stays stylish. Although it's been shockingly slighted by national media, Cheri is one of the best films of the year.
Opening Wednesday
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: (Warner Bros.) Harry starts his sixth year at Hogwarts and soon begins lessons with Dumbledore that reveal more about Voldemort's history in the hopes of learning how to defeat him. With Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson.
