A while back, I took a class on British literature in the Restoration era and the 18th century. Though novel this film is based on is French, so much of Dangerous Liaisons could have been taken directly from a William Wycherley play or Earl of Rochester poem. Wit as sport, people-watching at the theatre, and arch innuendo. Oh, and cleavage. This movie has cleavage for days.
Dangerous Liaisons follows the lives of
French aristocrats the Vicomte de Valmont and the Marquise de Merteuill, whose
favorite pastime is playing sexy mind games with those around them. Far from simple bedpost-notch conquests,
these games stand to ruin people’s lives.
Whether their machinations are performed for revenge, entertainment, or
bragging rights, the well-being of their sexual chess pieces doesn’t even
register.
Fellow
aristocrats are the targets of these games, but they’re not the only ones
involved. PC plays Azolan, the Vicomte’s
dutiful manservant. To further the
Vicomte’s goals, Azolan is called on to spy, bribe, and blackmail, not to
mention play begrudging seducer to a lady’s maid.
Since,
as Azolan, PC’s job is mainly to look good in 18th-century garb and
do what the Vicomte tells him, we don’t know a lot about Azolan or what he
wants. Does he enjoy taking part in the
Vicomte’s manipulations? Is he only in
it for the money? Does he have any
qualms about his duties? Who knows? As such, it’s difficult to say much about the
performance. There are flashes of
characterization – his constant complaints about the maid he’s been instructed
to bed are pretty funny – but overall, he’s just a prop in someone else’s story.
I
should say that Dangerous Liaisons
stars the likes of 25-years-younger John Malkovich, Glenn Close, Uma Thurman,
and Michelle Pfeiffer. Uma Thurman, in
fact, was only 18 at the time!
Accent Watch
Scottish. Let me tell you, this is an oddly-accent
film. All the aristocrats have generic
American accents, while the lower classes have assorted regional U.K.
accents. Of course, they’re all
technically speaking French anyway, but it seems like a weird choice to
indicate different classes by using accents from different continents. Plus, Azolan is the only non-aristocrat with
more than a few lines, which makes it feel like a bunch Americans and one
random Scot.
Recommend?
In
General
– Depends on the recommendee. It’s a
well-made representation of the era, and there’s some great acting, but the
leads are such monsters, ruining
peoples’ lives just for fun.
PC-wise – Not
necessarily. The performance is only
fine, and Azolan isn’t terribly important.
Warnings
Lots of
sex, though the camera usually cuts away while it’s still just making out. Still, all sorts of sexual discussion and content,
and brief nudity. Also, a little
violence and light swearing.
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