AS UNPREDICTABLE AS LOVE ITSELF.

In 1782, vicomte de Valmont (Colin Firth) and marquise de Merteuil (Annette Bening) make a wager involving the virginity of a 15-year-old girl (Fairuza Balk). A year after Dangerous Liaisons (1988) came another adaptation of Choderlos de Laclos’s novel, one that suffered in comparison. Still, this version isn’t without its merits as it changes several aspects of the original story and has a younger cast. Firth and Bening are excellent, but there are many equally satisfying supporting performances, including Balk as the innocent teenager. There’s also much to enjoy in terms of lavish costumes and appealing music choices.

1989-France-Britain. 137 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Milos Forman. Screenplay: Jean-Claude Carrière, Milos Forman. Novel: Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. Cinematography: Miroslav Ondricek. Costume Design: Theodor Pistek. Cast: Colin Firth (Vicomte de Valmont), Annette Bening (Marquise de Merteuil), Meg Tilly (Madame de Tourvel), Fairuza Balk (Cécile de Volanges), Sian Phillips, Jeffrey Jones… Henry Thomas.

Trivia: Wil Wheaton and Michelle Pfeiffer were reportedly considered for roles. 

IMDb