Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

Star Rating: 4
Length of Film: 119 minutes
Director: Stephen Frears
Cast: Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Swoosie Kurtz, Keanu Reeves, Mildred Natwick, Uma Thurman, Peter Capaldi, Joe Sheridan, Valerie Gogan, Lauren Benson, Joanna Pavlis
Oscars: Christopher Hampton (screenplay), Stuart Craig, Gerard James (art direction), & James Acheson (costume)
Oscar Nominations: Norma Hayman, Hank Moonjean (best picture), Glenn Close (actress), Michelle Pfeiffer (actress in a supporting role), George Fenton (costume).

Dangerous Liaison's is based off the critically acclaimed novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Choderlos de Lacios. There have been multiple movies and miniseries based off this novel. The most famous that comes to my mind is Cruel Intentions.



Marquise de Merteuil- Glenn Close
Vicomte de Valmont- John Malkovich
Madame de Tourvel- Michelle Pfeiffer
Cecile- Uma Thurman
Chevalier Danceny- Keanu Reeves

Dangerous Liaison's starts out with servants taking care of Marquise de Merteuil, dressing her and waiting on her hand and foot.

Marquise de Merteuil & Valmont have this sexual tension, but Marquise has been making him wait and torturing him. Marquise seems very upstanding, and virtuous, but she's a manipulator,egotistical, and flat out mean! Marquise made a deal with Valmont that if he seduced the virginal Cecile with proof (through written letters) . You might ask why Marquise would want Valmont to seduce Cecile? Well...Cecile is being arranged to marry Marquise's former lover. So she wants to get revenge of him, and have his new bride not be a virgin. HA! So devious! Valmont was unsure whether or not he should go along with this plan, because he has his own plan to seduce the married Madame de Tourvel, but changes his mind knowing that the reward, Marquise, would be worth it.

Valmont is sleazy and very clever when seducing Madame de Tourvel. He went to a small village, and gave money to the poor.Yet Madame was warned about Valmont and his "ways" with women. Valmont tried everything. "I love you, I adore you. Please help me." He leaned to kiss Madame on the cheek, and she pulled away. She was not going to fall for his tricks, so she thought...

Cecile is played by Uma Thurman, the virginal young girl. She falls in love with Chevalier Danceny, a musician, and her teacher, who's not in the same class, and so they will never marry. They pass love letters back and forth to each other, hoping that one day they'll be able to be together.  

Valmont uses Cecile's love for Danceny to get his foot in the door (or her pants, ha!)  with Cecile to fulfill his conquest. He gives Cecile a fake copy of her bedroom key that her mother keeps in her room. Valmont tells her to switch the keys so he could hand deliver Danceny's love letters. Naive Cecile, thinks that Valmont is actually trying to help her. He sneaks into her bedroom, startles Cecile and tells him he'll leave if he kisses him. He pushes for more, but nothing happened.

Marquise was called by her cousin (Cecile's mom) to help get Cecile out of this funk. Marquise tells Cecile to allow Valmont to continue "instructing" Cecile. "As long as you take a few elementary precautions, you can do it or not, with as many men as you like, as aften as you like, in as many different ways as you like".

This yellow dress is my favorite outfit from the movie

Valmont begins instructing Cecile so she can "impress" her future husband and also her lover, Danceny. Valmont also instructs Cecile to write a very spicy love letter to Danceny, a letter she writes on the naked body of Valmont. (You get to see Uma Thurman's boob)

Madame de Tourvel finally gives in and confesses her love to Valmont and they spend a beautiful night together. Something happens to womanizer Valmont that he's not expecting...he falls in love with Madame. Marquise and Valmont meet up and he demands that he gets to spend the night with her...TONIGHT. She weasels herself out of it and tells him that she wants him to break it off with Madame, THEN they'll have their night, if he doesn't agree, she'll ruin his reputation.


Watch the movie. You'll be pleasantly surprised to see what happens to our 5 main characters, but you're gonna have to watch it, because I'm not going to tell you. The ending, right before the credits, is my favorite. Marquise is so raw and delicate, a side of her we don't see at all throughout the movie. I believe THAT moment, is why she was nominated for best actress.

Favorite Quotes:

"If I want a man, I have him"

"It's beyond my control"

"I wanted you before we'd ever met. My self-esteem demanded it. Then when you began to pursue me, I wanted you so badly"