Cheap Dangerous Liaisons (200-Minute Version in English) (DVD) (Josée Dayan) Price

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Customer Reviews of Dangerous Liaisons (200-Minute Version in English)

I'll be a moderate this time
This is not a great film. It is long, and a bit tired. The sets, the clothes, and the cars are all indeed sparkling. The music is well-played. The color, the taste, the smell, all exude authenticity. Well then, why the mediocre review? <
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>Catherine Deneuve is indeed old. A bit heavy. And not a temptress physically. But I had no trouble with that....part of the theme is that men are easily manipulated, eager to be used, and can be led by their privates. She does so. No, where this film flops is the big change-of-heart transition. I have not read the book, and I thought the Malkovich version dreadful. But I did see a stage version set in pre-revolution France that was absolutely stunning, among the most impressive plays I've ever seen. And the notion so beautifully portrayed there was that the decadence and abuse of these amoral pigs was the cause of their society's collapse. It did not need anything other than their victims to rise up and say "No more." Here we need an unconvincing change of heart in Valmont. Why, if he is so easily manipulated, does he start to love? He has never demonstrated anything other than a puppy-dog desire to return to Catherine Deneuve's bed. Will do anything, say anything, hurt anyone. (And why does he want this...was she that good?) But we never see why he changes. Lots of horse riding, lots of sweeping landscapes, but what does he think? No idea. <
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>And a rather contrived twist is necessary to bring Madame de Merteuil down, a twist I found obnoxiously convenient. No, the seeds of death are in the behavior itself, and this tale does not even acknowledge that possibility. Fate and an unconvincing change of heart do the work.

An (Entire) Evening of Intrigue, Elegance, and Intelligence
Clocking in at 270 minutes, this 2003 French film version of Choderlos de Laclos' perennially popular 18th century novel "Les Liaisons Dangereuses' about the extant concerns of seduction, betrayal and revenge requires not only a long time segment of your life to enjoy, it also requires much on the part of viewer participation to stay abreast of the fascinatingly tangled plot. <
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>Director Josée Dayan has accommodated Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt's adaptation to the screen and in doing so has updated this elegant, high costume drama into the haute couture setting of Paris in the 1960s. There have been many filmed and staged versions of de Laclos' novel and while they all have had their strong points, for this viewer Dayan's film unravels the plot and the characters with much more finesse and ultimate credibility than the predecessors. <
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>Many have scoffed at the casting of the still gorgeous Catherine Deneuve as Madame de Merteuil, claiming that the author had in mind a much younger femme fatale for this role. But times have changed, women are more sensually alive in the age realm of Deneuve, and for me the casting is perfect: here is a woman of the world who is not just out to spar with Valmont (another very well cast Rupert Everett) in a deadly game of lover's vengeance, she is also facing the fact (like the Marschallin in 'Der Rosenkavlier') that her wealth and aging beauty are on the wane and that makes her a much more fleshed out character. <
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>The story is well known: Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil, once in an affair years ago with Valmont and remaining in an approach/avoidance relationship with that libertine in a very dangerous liaison, has been rejected by her long standing lover Gercourt (Andrzej Zulawski) for the beautiful young pianist Cécile de Volanges (Leelee Sobieski). de Merteuil convinces Valmont to seduce and impregnate Cecile in order to destroy Gercourt's new love and in return Valmont coerces de Merteuil into promising to let him in her bed at last. <
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>In the process of performing his part of the wager Valmont encounters Marie (Nastassja Kinski), a married woman who will not succumb to Valmont's superficial advances, making her all the more attractive to Valmont. And while Valmont is at the estate of his aunt Madame de Rosemonde (Danielle Darrieux), playing the game with Cecile and Marie, M. de Merteuil is feeding misinformation to a young violin student at her music academy Raphael Danceny (Tedi Papavrami), convincing him that his accompanist Cecile, though promised to Gercourt, has fallen in love with Danceny! Cecile does indeed become pregnant, threatening her future, Valmont eventually seduces Marie with disastrous reults, and de Merteuil seduces Danceny to satisfy her pride. <
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>How all of these threads are woven into a deeper and more complex interplay of morals, ethics, passion, and revenge is the tale that unravels slowly but tightly. The ending is different from the novel: we are no longer in the days when duels could settle any matter of honor or pride. But this ending is equally as cruel and harsh as the original. <
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>The interplay between Deneuve and Everett is something to behold - razor-sharp, vituperative, and scintillating. One does wonder why the director selected a cast where three of the characters are basically English speaking, but those three perform so well that the question is without foundation. The musical score by Angelo Badalamenti is one of the finest on film and the cinematography by Caroline Champetier is sumptuous: the differences between her choices for light and shadow whether for interiors or exteriors shows a sensitive eye. <
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>For this reviewer the author of the novel would probably applaud this updated version of this complex and fascinating story. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, April 05 <
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