Dangerous Liaisons (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
'Dangerous Liaisons' (directed by Stephen Frears & adapted by Christopher Hampton) tells a story of sexual conquest & scorned love; set in pre-revolutionary France around 1760. In this world, the devious Marquise de Mertueil (Glenn Close) & the Vicomte de Valmont (John Malkovich) are former lovers & close confidants. He is known as a seducer of women & she is known as a master manipulator. They enjoy each other & spar one-liners at each other with barbed wit. Mertueil has a request for Valmont: she would like him to deflower Cecile de Volange (Uma Thurman), the young, virginal daughter of her 'friend', Madame de Volange (Swoosie Kurtz). Cecile is to be wed to Mertueil's own lover, & she doesn't want the new bride to go to be a virgin for her wedding night.
Valmont refuses, arguing it would be child's play. Besides, he also has another game (conquest) at play: breaking down the defenses of the virtuous & beautiful Madame de Tourvel (Michelle Pfeiffer). Mertueil is intrigued by this scheme & offers Valmont a cruel wager: if he can seduce Mme. de Tourvel & provide written proof of their sexual encounter, Mertueil will spend a night with Valmont; re-living their former dalliance from years past. Valmont's downfall is: in succeeding to seduce Mme. de Tourvel, he falls in love, & with love comes misery for him. He's never felt it before. And he doesn't understand how to control it. Mertueil, who is jealous & furious at what she deems to be a betrayal, decides that cruel vengeance is the route to go down. She plays on Valmont's vanity (which will always stronger than his love), & forces him to end the affair with Mme. Tourvel. Tragedy strikes & melodrama of the highest order ensues.
I really admire 'Dangerous Liaisons' for a host of reasons. It's a cynical film based on a cynical novel about mean characters talking about sex and doing awful things. That doesn't sound likeable, does it? It's not. There's something unappealing about that. But due to some steady direction, wonderful writing, & world-class performances ... it makes the sour spots go down easier. Furthermore, the film shows that, in the end, even the most steely-nerved & aloof of villains can be undone by love. That's interesting. And on top of that, watching various individuals get their due comeuppance is always fun to watch, as well.
Probably the best aspect of 'DL' - other than the OUTSTANDING production design (by Gandhi, The Mission's Stuart Craig) & period costumes (by The Last Emperor's James Acheson) - is the delicious interplay btwn. Mertueil & Valmont. Each verbal exchange btwn. them is full of wit, innuendo, & energy. The plot(s) they devise are creepy & cruel. And there's a certain fascination in watching them chat about sex & scheme to destroy. You know, John Malkovich is not particularly handsome. But he inhabits a devilish, seductive charm. And he delivers his copious lines of dialogue with relish. Michelle Pfeiffer is excellent and Oscar-worthy as Mme. de Tourvel. Pfeiffer exudes such quiet pain, confusion, & vulnerability.
Mertueil's malice runs deep. And Glenn Close tears through her role with tour-de-force power. Close's varying line deliveries (the inflections she uses) are wonderful; whether they're comical, hushed, or venomous. And what happens to her Mertueil in the end - combined with her visceral reactions to it - is amazing to watch. 'Dangerous Liaisons' is a cold film. Mean-spirited, too. But it is also powerfully written, acted, & adorned.
Valmont refuses, arguing it would be child's play. Besides, he also has another game (conquest) at play: breaking down the defenses of the virtuous & beautiful Madame de Tourvel (Michelle Pfeiffer). Mertueil is intrigued by this scheme & offers Valmont a cruel wager: if he can seduce Mme. de Tourvel & provide written proof of their sexual encounter, Mertueil will spend a night with Valmont; re-living their former dalliance from years past. Valmont's downfall is: in succeeding to seduce Mme. de Tourvel, he falls in love, & with love comes misery for him. He's never felt it before. And he doesn't understand how to control it. Mertueil, who is jealous & furious at what she deems to be a betrayal, decides that cruel vengeance is the route to go down. She plays on Valmont's vanity (which will always stronger than his love), & forces him to end the affair with Mme. Tourvel. Tragedy strikes & melodrama of the highest order ensues.
I really admire 'Dangerous Liaisons' for a host of reasons. It's a cynical film based on a cynical novel about mean characters talking about sex and doing awful things. That doesn't sound likeable, does it? It's not. There's something unappealing about that. But due to some steady direction, wonderful writing, & world-class performances ... it makes the sour spots go down easier. Furthermore, the film shows that, in the end, even the most steely-nerved & aloof of villains can be undone by love. That's interesting. And on top of that, watching various individuals get their due comeuppance is always fun to watch, as well.
Probably the best aspect of 'DL' - other than the OUTSTANDING production design (by Gandhi, The Mission's Stuart Craig) & period costumes (by The Last Emperor's James Acheson) - is the delicious interplay btwn. Mertueil & Valmont. Each verbal exchange btwn. them is full of wit, innuendo, & energy. The plot(s) they devise are creepy & cruel. And there's a certain fascination in watching them chat about sex & scheme to destroy. You know, John Malkovich is not particularly handsome. But he inhabits a devilish, seductive charm. And he delivers his copious lines of dialogue with relish. Michelle Pfeiffer is excellent and Oscar-worthy as Mme. de Tourvel. Pfeiffer exudes such quiet pain, confusion, & vulnerability.
Mertueil's malice runs deep. And Glenn Close tears through her role with tour-de-force power. Close's varying line deliveries (the inflections she uses) are wonderful; whether they're comical, hushed, or venomous. And what happens to her Mertueil in the end - combined with her visceral reactions to it - is amazing to watch. 'Dangerous Liaisons' is a cold film. Mean-spirited, too. But it is also powerfully written, acted, & adorned.