CRIMES OF PASSION

In Stephen Frears’s Dangerous Liaisons, lust and cruelty entwine in a delicious, corseted period drama exploring pre-Revolution French society. The vengeful Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil (Glenn Close) and the icy cad Vicomte Sébastien de Valmont (John Malkovich) pursue scandal and revenge for their own entertainment, circling each other in wicked attraction. Their latest game? If Valmont can seduce the pious and gentle Madame Marie de Tourvel (Michelle Pfeiffer), Merteuil will sleep with him. 

Join critic and film writer Manuela Lazić in honoring this gorgeously realized game of hearts, exploring three key themes—performance, pleasure and love—and the ways in which Frears depicts them in his astute film language.