DANGEROUS LIAISONS (1988)

The sexual machinations of the bored aristocracy have never been so delectable as in Stephen Frears’ adaptation of the play and novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Set in pre-Revolution Paris, Glenn Close earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actress starring as Marquise de Merteuil, a noblewoman who seeks revenge on her ex-lover by disgracing his fiancée, the virginal Cécile de Volanges (Uma Thurman). To this end, she recruits her friend and lothario Vicomte de Valmont (John Malkovich), who only agrees to participate if de Merteuil agrees to a bet: if Valmont can seduce the devoutly religious Madame de Tourvel (Michelle Pfeiffer), then de Metreuil will sleep with him as well. Filled with lush environments and stunning costumes (both of which won Academy Awards^® along with the screenplay), DANGEROUS LIAISONS features crackling dialogue and performances filled with passive aggressive asides and double entendres. And yet the film never loses sight of the emotional stakes where the characters risk losing far more than they ever thought to wager.

d. Stephen Frears, 119m