Dangerous Liaisons

Year: 1988

Grade: B

Country: UK

Director: Frears

Review

by all outward indications i should have hated this film. it’s a 17th century period piece that takes place in france and spends about 98% of its time focusing on the bourgeoisie…it doesn’t get much worse than that. however, it saves itself by being more of an indictment against bourgeois culture and the idle rich than it is about the normal fare for this kind of picture (going to balls and keeping up appearances). it also doesn’t have the weight and slow pace that bog down a lot of period films. the plot is a bit difficult at times because there are a lot of names and it’s a tangled web of deceit that is being spun, but i think that keeps the viewer more involved/interested than confused. one of the more pleasant surprises of the film is that, like cruel intentions (which is based on the same novel), it treats the action with a certain air of comedy. it’s hard to put into words exactly what the tone is – it’s not flippant, it’s not all out comedy, but given the subject matter, it’s also not nearly as heavy as you might expect. i found myself laughing at the misdeeds and cruelty of the two protagonists (glen close and john malkovich) and i think that’s because the film allows you to feel okay about it. somehow it conveys the sense that even the characters sometimes know the absurdity of their games; and much of this can be attributed to the performances of the leads. despite this relative lightness, the film does have some emotional weight – especially towards the end. in the final reel or so things get pretty heavy. surprisingly, the film’s tone shift is executed well. even though i spent most of the film having nothing but disdain for the lead characters, by the film’s end i actually had some pity and even sympathy for their circumstances – circumstances which they created themselves. i felt the same way when watching “cruel intentions” as well which leads me to believe that the original text is deserving of the kudos. normally i would have the mindset of “you made your bed now you get to sleep in it,” but somehow the story is able to win my sympathy. on a deeper plane the film addressed themes ranging from sexuality, repression of society, bourgeois culture, and the power of love. it’s a textured and layered text that is ripe for study and, apparently, film adaptations. this one did a fine job. a strong .