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VALMONT (1989) (***1/2)

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Director Milos Forman had already started this film when it was announced that Stephen Frears would be doing DANGEROUS LIASONS based on the same novel by Choderlos de Laclos. Frears’ film had a smaller budget and more stars and was eventually released before Forman’s film, going on to garner several Oscar nominations and wins. A year later few people were interested in seeing the same story again. Subjecting VALMONT to a dismal box office gross of barely over a million dollars. And for a film that cost $35 million that’s not good. These facts are not a comment on the quality of the two films, only an explanation of why you may have never heard of VALMONT.

The main difference between the two films is that VALMONT is based more on the original book while DANGEROUS LIASONS is based more on the stage play that was popular on Broadway at the time. As well, DANGEROUS LIASONS takes a more American view of love and sex where VALMONT is more European.

Katherine Merteuil (Annette Bening, BUGSY) is having an affair with Antoine Gercourt (Jeffrey Jones, AMADEUS). When Katherine discovers that Antoine is going to marry her 15-year-old cousin Cecile Volanges (Fairuza Balk, THE CRAFT), Katherine sets out to deflower Cecile so that Antoine is robbed of his virgin. Katherine tries to enlist notorious ladies man Sebastian Valmont (Colin Firth, BRIDGET JONES’S DIARY) to do the deed, but he is too occupied with wooing the married Marie Tourvel (Meg Tilly, THE BIG CHILL). Katherine doesn’t believe that Valmont will succeed with Marie and they make a playful wager that if he does he gets Katherine. In the meantime, Katherine discovers that Cecile is in love with her young harp teacher Raphael Danceny (Henry Thomas, E.T.) and sets out to bring the two young people together.

Unlike DANGEROUS LIASONS, VALMONT is more playful with its sexual games and more open about its portrayal of sex. The film views marriage as more of a business transaction. Love should be left to lovers. VALMONT has far more fun with the material. The cast is wonderful. Bening and Firth are delightful. Balk is surprising and shows that she is a truly gifted performer.

The only thing that I’d say DANGEROUS LIASONS does better than VALMONT is that its conclusion is clearer and ultimately more satisfying. But this is due to the way the two films portray the same characters and those characters’ motivations. LIASONS is more idealistic where VALMONT is more cynical. It would be fair to say that LIASONS is a grand tragedy whereas VALMONT is a roguish farce. In the end, the two films show that point of view is extremely crucial to every tale.

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Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks