Dangerous Liaisons

Lust. Seduction. Revenge. The game as you've never seen it played before.

DANGEROUS LIAISONS (15)

D: Stephen Frears

Warner Bros./Lorimar/NFH (Norma Heyman, Hank Moonjean & Christopher Hampton)

USA 🇺🇸 1988

120 mins

Drama

W: Christopher Hampton [based on the novel 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' by Choderlos de Laclos]

DP: Philippe Rouselott

Ed: Mick Audsley

Mus: George Fenton

PD: Stuart Craig

Cos: James Acheson

Glenn Close (Marquise de Merteuil), John Malkovich (Vicomte de Valmont), Michelle Pfeiffer (Madame de Tourvel), Swoosie Kurtz (Madame de Volanges), Keanu Reeves (Chevalier Danceny), Mildred Natwick (Madame de Rosemonde), Uma Thurman (Cecile de Volanges)

Glenn Close & John Malkovich play repugnant monsters of 18th Century French aristocracy, who challenge each other to sexual conquests during the revolution.

Bored widow Marquise de Merteuil (Close) challenges her former lover, the wicked lethario Vicomte de Valmont (Malkovich) to seduce virgins merely for her own entertainment, but she receives her comeuppance when a genuine romance blossoms between the rakish Valmont & the young and beautiful Madame de Tourval (Pfeiffer), enraging her and triggering jealousy towards her former lover.

Meticulously filmed and sumptuously designed, with gorgeous costumes, sets, makeup and wigs, although it's the delicious performances of the three main players (Glenn Close, John Malkovich & Michelle Pfeiffer) that gives the film its finest flavours. Keanu Reeves is miscast, but thankfully his screen time is limited.

8/10