Drama,Romance
France,United States of America
Valmont is a 1989 film adaptation of the novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. The film is directed by Milos Forman and stars Colin Firth as the scheming Valmont, Annette Bening as the virtuous Madame de Tourvel, and Meg Tilly as the young and innocent Cecile.
The film is set in Baroque France, where Valmont and his lover, the widow Marquise de Merteuil (played by Glenn Close), plot their bet. Their target is Madame de Tourvel, a married woman known for her piety and virtue. Valmont sees the challenge as an opportunity to prove himself as a master seducer and to win his lover's favors.
As Valmont sets his sights on Madame de Tourvel, he begins to employ his seductive tactics, using flattery and charm to win her over. At the same time, Cecile, the daughter of Madame de Volanges (played by Sian Phillips) and a virginal girl promised in marriage to a wealthy man, becomes another target of Valmont's seduction. He enlists the help of Marquise de Merteuil to deflower Cecile and use her as a tool in their game of seduction.
As Valmont becomes more deeply involved with Madame de Tourvel, he begins to fall in love with her, and his feelings are reciprocated. However, the bet between Valmont and Marquise de Merteuil threatens to destroy their budding romance.
The film is notable for its lush period setting and costumes, as well as for its frank depictions of sex and seduction. It was adapted for the screen by Jean-Claude Carriere and received mixed reviews from critics, some of whom praised the film's performances and erotic tension, while others found it lacking in depth. However, Valmont has since become something of a cult classic and is regarded by some as a superior adaptation to the more famous Dangerous Liaisons, released the same year.
