Dangerous Liaisons

A provocative film which I first watched on a local TV channel a year after it was released in 1988. And cable T.V. wasn't available yet in Manila that time so it caught me by surprise when I was flipping the remote one night during the late 80s.

Uma Thurman and Keanu Reaves were just starting to build their resumes but I already had a gut feeling then that they were going to be superstars. I never found Michelle Pfeiffer stunning, but she played a great coquette in the film. Glen Close was impressive and John Malkovich was the best person to play the rake.

Honestly, they should have just left the movie alone. The Cruel Intentions (and its other parts) adaption of Dangerous Liaisons butchered not only the book but also the story.

*****Synopsis: Set in France around 1760-1770. The Marquise de Merteuil needs a favour from her ex-lover, Vicomte de Valmont. One Marquise de Merteuil's ex-lover, Gercourt, is planning on marrying a young, virtuos, woman called Cecile de Volanges. The Marquise would like Valmont to seduce Cecile before her wedding day. Meanwhile Valmont has a conquest of his own in mind, Madame de Tourvel, a beautiful, married, and God fearing woman. The Marquise doesn't think that Valmont can do it, she tells him that if he can provide written proof of a sexual encounter with Madame de Tourvel, that she will offer him a reward, one last night with her. But Valmont will find himself falling in love with Mrs. de Tourvel, embrasing the deadly jealousy of the marquise de Merteuil.