Cruel Intentions
Written and Directed by Roger Kumble
Based on the Novel "Les Liasons Dangereuses" by Choderlos de Laclos
Starring: Ryan Phillippe Sarah Michelle Gellar Reese Withsersppon Selma Blair Joshua Jackson
What have horror movies taught us? I guess they have taught us what we already know, that diluting the same idea that may have at one point been good isn't a good idea. Think of it. All of the franchises, with the exception of Scream, which is only on its second installment, and, thanks to the grace of Kevin Williamson, has remained fresh in its sequel, have bitterly failed.
Perhaps it makes sense that the only people who would star in a redo of an idea used at least four times before (3 adaptations of Dangerous Liaisons and the indie smash In the Company of Men) area all veterans of horror movies. Phillippe and Gellar starred together in I Know What You Did Last Summer. Witherspoon was in Fear and Freeway, and in the anticipated American Psycho.
However -- and maybe this is just the reparations paid by fate -- Cruel Intentions comes out as a good-luck charm. The movie, although lacking the literary content of other films with the same plot, is as entertaining a sex comedy as you get to see from a studio. The acting is actually half-decent, perhaps the most monumental achievement of the film considering the odds it has against it:
For one, it has a first-time director. For two, we have not one but three stars from the WB network, whose motto should be "good ideas, bad actors." For three, we have Ryan Phillipe, someone who has never once had a good role and, like most of the brat pack of 90s actors, most likely never will. Perhaps they were inspired by Reese Witherspoon's convincing performance as a virgin, which actually is a great showcase of her versatility considering, only a few months ago, she starred as a slut in the overlooked creative mind-exercise Pleasantville.
The plot, as I've said, is shared with three adaptations of Dangerous Liaisons and with the indie In the Company of Men. Basically, bad bitch sister Kathryn Merteuil (Sarah Michelle Gellar, returning to her soap-opera roots) makes a bet with her step-brother Sebastian Valmont (Ryan Phillippe): seduce the new headmaster's daughter, Annette (Reese Witherspoon), and incest will become a New York debutante's common practice. Fail, and she gets his '57 Roadster. Now, with most women, this wouldn't be worth it, but, hey, we're talking about Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Basically, Gellar is completely enjoyable as a bitch extraordinaire. He new motto for acting (aside from the fact that it would plagiarize Mae West): "When I'm good, I'm really good. When I'm bad, I'm better." A nice fun subplot in the movie, that gives it the majority of its humor, is Sebastian's "awakening" of Cecile, yet another virgin Gellar seeks to destroy (for stealing a boyfriend she blew), which leads to most of the sex in this film, not to mention the best snippet of popcorn film conversation I've heard in 1999:
Cecile: This doesn't taste like iced tea. Sebastian: It's from Long Island.
Unfortunately, the story decides not to rely on the acerbic wit that newcomer Roger Kumble inserts into his film, but instead on…(ominous tones) ROMANCE. As the relationship between Sebastain and Annette becomes more sweet and chick-flick, the movie takes a turn for the worse, ending on a low note.
Also, for all movie buffs who think they know the ending from the trailer: you probably do.
Predictable to a T, Cruel Intentions is nonetheless and enjoyable popcorn film. Maybe it's just the Y-chromosome in me: this film does house a vast repertoire of sex for an R rating (lesbian kiss, etc.). Maybe it's just the fact that I munch popcorn and need a film to munch it in. But either way, Cruel Intentions is a fun film to see.
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