Set in the luxurious demi–monde of pre–First World War Paris, "Cheri" is the story of the love affair between the beautiful retired courtesan Lea (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Cheri (Rupert Friend), the son of her old colleague and rival, Mme Peloux (Kathy Bates). Lea has educated the spoilt and callow boy in the ways of love, but after six years Mme Peloux has secretly arranged a marriage between Cheri and Edmee (Felicity Jones), daughter of another rich courtesan, Marie Laure (Iben Hjejle). As the inevitable moment of parting approaches, Lea and Cheri try to come to terms with their imminent separation, but the roots of their life of ease and pleasure reach deeper than even they imagine and they begin to understand, too late, how much they mean to one another.