Cruel Intentions


3.5/4

Starring: Ryan Philippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Reese Witherspoon, Selma Blair, Joshua Jackson, Eric Mabius

Rated R for Strong Sexual Dialogue and Sexual Situations Involving Teens, Language and Drug Use

My, oh my, what games we play…

It’s so unusual to find a good teen movie.  Many movies geared to teens (and tweens especially) are juvenile and facile, and they rely too much on the physical appeal of their stars rather than natural and insightful dialogue and solid acting.  “Cruel Intentions” is different (despite the R-rating, this is really a movie for high schoolers).  Based loosely on the novel “Dangerous Liaisons” by Choderlos de Laclos (unread by me), “Cruel Intentions” is a delicious hybrid of the black comedy and erotic thriller.  There are plenty of viciously witty lines and many scenes radiate in sexual tension.  This is one movie that adults may like as much as the teens.

Sebastian Valmont (Philippe) is the most dangerous man at New York’s exclusive Manchester Prep.  He’s a notorious seducer and a soulless manipulator.  Together with his step-sister, Kathryn Mertuil (Gellar), the two plot and destroy whoever wrongs them, or in many cases, when it amuses them.  Bored with so many easy conquests, Sebastian and Kathryn make a wager: the new headmaster’s daughter, Annette Hargrove (Witherspoon) has just published an article in a teen magazine espousing the values of virginity.  If Sebastian can deflower her by the time school starts, he can sleep with Kathryn.  If not, then she gets his sports car.  Let the games begin!

In dealing with themes and ideas about sexual politics and psychological warfare, “Cruel Intentions” shows a startling amount of intelligence and maturity.  First-time director Roger Kumble never takes the easy way out and he never talks down to the audience.  He also shows that he has a lot of skill when it comes to character development and sleight of hand.  There’s a lot of suspense about which moves the characters are going to make next, especially towards the end when the stakes have risen considerably.

The performances are quite good.  Ryan Philippe is terrific as the slick and mischievous Sebastian.  He’s a clever little devil, able to fool just about everyone with his good looks and false charm.  Sarah Michelle Gellar is the standout of the cast as the poster child from hell.  She’s just as clever as Sebastian, but for the most part, she stays behind the scenes, playing a sort-of female version of Iago in “Othello.”  The scenes with Sebastian and Kathryn are the film’s highlights as the two actors have excellent chemistry and they share some of the film’s best lines (their brief quip about his therapy is hilarious).  As the virginal Annette, Reese Witherspoon radiates sexuality and innocence.  It’s not hard to see why she rubs off on Sebastian.  Witherspoon doesn’t just say the lines, she speaks them with conviction and earnestness.  Like the other two characters, she’s smart too.  She sees right through Sebastian, which only inflames his desire to conquer her.
The weak link is Selma Blair, who plays Cecile, the sexually naiive girl who Kathryn is trying to destroy because she’s her ex’s new squeeze.  Blair is a decent actress, but she goes so far over-the-top that one wonders what Kumble was thinking.  Louise Fletcher is awful, but that’s primarily because she’s a plot device and her lines are badly written (one of the few missteps in the script).  Christine Baranski and Swoozie Kurtz provide solid support in small roles.

Apart from the very few clunky lines, there are few other missteps.  The biggest one comes at the end.  The climax is both ineptly handled and completely ridiculous.  What comes after, however, is genius.  The ending of this film is so great that it’s worth watching over and over again.

Definitely not for the puritanical or the overprotective parents, but for those who like these twisty games, this is a real winner.

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