The third film adaptation of Choderlos de Laclos' epistolary masterpiece
Les Liaisons Dangereuses (following Roger Vadim's 1957 modern-dress version, and Stephen Frears' 1988 treatment of Christopher Hampton's stage adaptation), Milo Forman's VALMONT is the weakest version so far,
suffering from willfully wrongheaded casting, a comic-strip "free" adaptation by former Luis Bunuel collaborator Jean-Claude Carriere, and Forman's heavy-handed direction of material that requires the most sophisticated glancing touch. Forman and Carriere focus primarily on the eponymous Valmont
(Colin Firth, who lacks the charismatic bravado and sexual menace for the role), ending...
Released:
1989
Rated:
R
Length:
137 mins