There are two ways to look at a teen sex dramedy like "Cruel Intentions." If you compare it to the usual teen fare, the dialogue is more clever, the plot more interesting, and the script intelligent enough that it might actually appeal to adults as well as the raging-hormones set--especially those curious to see Reese Witherspoon and her soon-to-be ex-husband Ryan Phillippe in the roles that drew them to each other in real life.
On the other hand, if you consider this latest adaptation of Choderlos de Laclos' 1782 novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses against some of the others--particularly Stephen Frears' "Dangerous Liaisons," starring John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer--this one can seem pretty insipid by comparison.
The problem is that the dialogue is so sophisticated, even stilted at times, that hearing high school students mouth the lines makes them seem as if they're acting in a school play rather than sustaining the grand illusion of a cinematic reality. Even if they're supposed to be upper-crust kids who live in French-style mansions, their comportment is more like a bunch of thirtysomethings than teens who think about sex all the time. Then too, tonally it's so similar to Frears' version and Phillippe's performance is so clearly patterned after Malkovich's affected take on the Valmont character that it can either seem like an unintentional parody or a silly imitation of the adult version.
As in "Dangerous Liaisons," the plot turns around a bet involving sexual seduction. The catty and conniving Kathryn Merteuil (Sarah Michelle Gellar) wagers that her stepbrother, Sebastian Valmont, can't bed a virgin who's saving herself for marriage. The prize? If he isn't successful, then Kathryn gets his Jaguar. If he does score with her, then he doubles his pleasure, because step-sis has promised a roll in the hay with her too--something she tells him she knows he's always wanted. As a side plot, Sebastian also tries to seduce dorky Cecile Caldwell (Selma Blair) to get back at her mom for warning his intended target, Annette (Witherspoon), that he's a Casanova. Plus, it turns out that Cecile somehow managed to steal Kathryn's old boyfriend, so it's a double payback. The twist, when it comes, is whether all this seduction has actually resulted in real attraction and love, or whether it's all still part of these bored kids' entertainments. Got all that?
But the sexual games start right off the bat, as we see a psychiatrist (Swoosie Kurtz) treating Sebastian by handing him a copy of her parenting book, and it turns out he's already bedded her young-adult daughter as a way of undercutting the good doctor's arrogance. Sexual shenanigans, head games, and blackmail are the whole point of this film, and, frankly, if the actors were older and more innately sophisticated, we might actually believe it. But it's hard to follow "Dangerous Liaisons" plotlines with a cast that seems better suited to "Beverly Hills 90210."
If it wasn't for the fact that his performance was a rip-off of Malkovich's, Phillippe actually gives us a fairly interesting character--though Gellar seems far too immature to be his social or conspiratorial equal. Witherspoon is perfect as the naïve target, but watching her here you realize that she's still a long ways away from that Academy Award-winning performance she gave in "Walk the Line."
On the other hand, if you consider this latest adaptation of Choderlos de Laclos' 1782 novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses against some of the others--particularly Stephen Frears' "Dangerous Liaisons," starring John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer--this one can seem pretty insipid by comparison.
The problem is that the dialogue is so sophisticated, even stilted at times, that hearing high school students mouth the lines makes them seem as if they're acting in a school play rather than sustaining the grand illusion of a cinematic reality. Even if they're supposed to be upper-crust kids who live in French-style mansions, their comportment is more like a bunch of thirtysomethings than teens who think about sex all the time. Then too, tonally it's so similar to Frears' version and Phillippe's performance is so clearly patterned after Malkovich's affected take on the Valmont character that it can either seem like an unintentional parody or a silly imitation of the adult version.
As in "Dangerous Liaisons," the plot turns around a bet involving sexual seduction. The catty and conniving Kathryn Merteuil (Sarah Michelle Gellar) wagers that her stepbrother, Sebastian Valmont, can't bed a virgin who's saving herself for marriage. The prize? If he isn't successful, then Kathryn gets his Jaguar. If he does score with her, then he doubles his pleasure, because step-sis has promised a roll in the hay with her too--something she tells him she knows he's always wanted. As a side plot, Sebastian also tries to seduce dorky Cecile Caldwell (Selma Blair) to get back at her mom for warning his intended target, Annette (Witherspoon), that he's a Casanova. Plus, it turns out that Cecile somehow managed to steal Kathryn's old boyfriend, so it's a double payback. The twist, when it comes, is whether all this seduction has actually resulted in real attraction and love, or whether it's all still part of these bored kids' entertainments. Got all that?
But the sexual games start right off the bat, as we see a psychiatrist (Swoosie Kurtz) treating Sebastian by handing him a copy of her parenting book, and it turns out he's already bedded her young-adult daughter as a way of undercutting the good doctor's arrogance. Sexual shenanigans, head games, and blackmail are the whole point of this film, and, frankly, if the actors were older and more innately sophisticated, we might actually believe it. But it's hard to follow "Dangerous Liaisons" plotlines with a cast that seems better suited to "Beverly Hills 90210."
If it wasn't for the fact that his performance was a rip-off of Malkovich's, Phillippe actually gives us a fairly interesting character--though Gellar seems far too immature to be his social or conspiratorial equal. Witherspoon is perfect as the naïve target, but watching her here you realize that she's still a long ways away from that Academy Award-winning performance she gave in "Walk the Line."
There are two ways to look at a teen sex dramedy like "Cruel Intentions." If you compare it to the usual teen fare, the dialogue is more clever, the plot more interesting, and the script intelligent enough that it might actually appeal to adults as well as the raging-hormones set--especially those curious to see Reese Witherspoon and her soon-to-be ex-husband Ryan Phillippe in the roles that drew them to each other in real life.
On the other hand, if you consider this latest adaptation of Choderlos de Laclos' 1782 novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses against some of the others--particularly Stephen Frears' "Dangerous Liaisons," starring John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer--this one can seem pretty insipid by comparison.
The problem is that the dialogue is so sophisticated, even stilted at times, that hearing high school students mouth the lines makes them seem as if they're acting in a school play rather than sustaining the grand illusion of a cinematic reality. Even if they're supposed to be upper-crust kids who live in French-style mansions, their comportment is more like a bunch of thirtysomethings than teens who think about sex all the time. Then too, tonally it's so similar to Frears' version and Phillippe's performance is so clearly patterned after Malkovich's affected take on the Valmont character that it can either seem like an unintentional parody or a silly imitation of the adult version.
As in "Dangerous Liaisons," the plot turns around a bet involving sexual seduction. The catty and conniving Kathryn Merteuil (Sarah Michelle Gellar) wagers that her stepbrother, Sebastian Valmont, can't bed a virgin who's saving herself for marriage. The prize? If he isn't successful, then Kathryn gets his Jaguar. If he does score with her, then he doubles his pleasure, because step-sis has promised a roll in the hay with her too--something she tells him she knows he's always wanted. As a side plot, Sebastian also tries to seduce dorky Cecile Caldwell (Selma Blair) to get back at her mom for warning his intended target, Annette (Witherspoon), that he's a Casanova. Plus, it turns out that Cecile somehow managed to steal Kathryn's old boyfriend, so it's a double payback. The twist, when it comes, is whether all this seduction has actually resulted in real attraction and love, or whether it's all still part of these bored kids' entertainments. Got all that?
But the sexual games start right off the bat, as we see a psychiatrist (Swoosie Kurtz) treating Sebastian by handing him a copy of her parenting book, and it turns out he's already bedded her young-adult daughter as a way of undercutting the good doctor's arrogance. Sexual shenanigans, head games, and blackmail are the whole point of this film, and, frankly, if the actors were older and more innately sophisticated, we might actually believe it. But it's hard to follow "Dangerous Liaisons" plotlines with a cast that seems better suited to "Beverly Hills 90210."
If it wasn't for the fact that his performance was a rip-off of Malkovich's, Phillippe actually gives us a fairly interesting character--though Gellar seems far too immature to be his social or conspiratorial equal. Witherspoon is perfect as the naïve target, but watching her here you realize that she's still a long ways away from that Academy Award-winning performance she gave in "Walk the Line."
On the other hand, if you consider this latest adaptation of Choderlos de Laclos' 1782 novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses against some of the others--particularly Stephen Frears' "Dangerous Liaisons," starring John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer--this one can seem pretty insipid by comparison.
The problem is that the dialogue is so sophisticated, even stilted at times, that hearing high school students mouth the lines makes them seem as if they're acting in a school play rather than sustaining the grand illusion of a cinematic reality. Even if they're supposed to be upper-crust kids who live in French-style mansions, their comportment is more like a bunch of thirtysomethings than teens who think about sex all the time. Then too, tonally it's so similar to Frears' version and Phillippe's performance is so clearly patterned after Malkovich's affected take on the Valmont character that it can either seem like an unintentional parody or a silly imitation of the adult version.
As in "Dangerous Liaisons," the plot turns around a bet involving sexual seduction. The catty and conniving Kathryn Merteuil (Sarah Michelle Gellar) wagers that her stepbrother, Sebastian Valmont, can't bed a virgin who's saving herself for marriage. The prize? If he isn't successful, then Kathryn gets his Jaguar. If he does score with her, then he doubles his pleasure, because step-sis has promised a roll in the hay with her too--something she tells him she knows he's always wanted. As a side plot, Sebastian also tries to seduce dorky Cecile Caldwell (Selma Blair) to get back at her mom for warning his intended target, Annette (Witherspoon), that he's a Casanova. Plus, it turns out that Cecile somehow managed to steal Kathryn's old boyfriend, so it's a double payback. The twist, when it comes, is whether all this seduction has actually resulted in real attraction and love, or whether it's all still part of these bored kids' entertainments. Got all that?
But the sexual games start right off the bat, as we see a psychiatrist (Swoosie Kurtz) treating Sebastian by handing him a copy of her parenting book, and it turns out he's already bedded her young-adult daughter as a way of undercutting the good doctor's arrogance. Sexual shenanigans, head games, and blackmail are the whole point of this film, and, frankly, if the actors were older and more innately sophisticated, we might actually believe it. But it's hard to follow "Dangerous Liaisons" plotlines with a cast that seems better suited to "Beverly Hills 90210."
If it wasn't for the fact that his performance was a rip-off of Malkovich's, Phillippe actually gives us a fairly interesting character--though Gellar seems far too immature to be his social or conspiratorial equal. Witherspoon is perfect as the naïve target, but watching her here you realize that she's still a long ways away from that Academy Award-winning performance she gave in "Walk the Line."
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