Valmont

One could fill up pages comparing Dangerous Liaisons and Valmont, both based on the 18th-century novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Choderlos de Laclos, but I'll make only a brief observation. The former is wicked, witty, and more like a stage play; the latter is lush, romantic, and more like a film epic. Although the plot, with only a few minor variations, is virtually identical in both films, they are both wonderful movies. Colin Firth as the Vicomte de Valmont and Annette Bening as the Marquis de Merteuil are excellent as the bored aristocrats who delight in meddling with the romantic lives of others. When the Marquise is thrown over by her lover Gercourt in favor of the virginal Cecile (a brilliantly comic and innocent creation by Fairuza Balk), the Marquise plots her revenge. At the same time, Valmont is pursuing the virtuous and wed Madame de Tourvel (Meg Tilly). Though uninterested, he assists the Marquise in helping Cecile make the transition from girl to woman, and strikes up a bet with her about his real concern: Madame de Tourvel. The terms are the Marquise's body; only the outcome of the bet turns tragic. Directed by Milos Forman (Amadeus), Valmont features, in addition to an engaging story, meticulous attention to detail--his recreation of a Parisian market, with all of its squalor and bartering intensity is worth seeing all by itself. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)