Liaisons dangereuses awesome

dangerous2

dangerous1

Over here, we are big, big fans of Stephen Frears’  Dangerous Liaisons… The diabolical vicissitudes of seduction and betrayal, the costuming, the alabaster powdered decolletage, the Malkovich, all (with a Keanu shaped exception) awesome… Anyway, we recently watched Milos Forman’s competing interpretation, Valmont – meh… dramatically flatter, and while Colin “Darcy” Firth works for those with Firth shaped affections, not really feeling the Annette Benning/Meg Tilly/Fairuza Balk troika. However, this did lead to further research on the original book and other adaptations and…. goodness gracious jackpot!

The French recently staged a sumptuous new adaptation. The setting has been brilliantly transposed to the mid 1960’s. Mid century modern cars, furniture, costumes by Jean Paul Gaultier. A sultry and rapacious Catherine Deneuve and a smoldering, pouty, Adam Ant-y Rupert Everett preside over the lurid machinations, Nastassja Kinski (!!!), and a surprisingly sexy Leelee Sobieski are the innocents consumed and corrupted. Filmed as a TV mini-series, the longer running time allows for more dimension and nuance, which heightens and intensifies an already rich stew of hothouse melodrama. The new standard. Netfix link here.