MovieChat Forums > Dangerous Liaisons (1989) Discussion > Who else prefers Cruel Intentions?

Who else prefers Cruel Intentions?

posted 18 years ago by Ricardo_Br
131 replies | jump to latest

I've seen Cruel Intentions two or three times and today, already knowing they were inspired on the same novel, I decided to watch DL.

Well... It really IS a great movie, but I found CI to be sooo much better. I think its story is much more devilish, fresh and clever. Maybe DL slightly outdoes it when it comes to acting, but I think it's just not enough to make up for the much better plot. Besides, [SPOILERS AHEAD]
the ending of Dangerous Liaisons is unnecessarily tragic. I mean, why did Madame de Tourvel have to die? It came completely out of nowhere.

Anyway... Which one do YOU prefer?

[–] aprovost-1 16 years ago

I'm saying this as a true fan of both Reese and Ryan so take it well...but SERIOUSLY...CI better than DL? That's like comparing a Disney musical to opera. Completely absurd. CI is light and fluffy fun entertainment. DL is deep, engrossing, brilliantly written, acted, every nuance means something, every gesture deliberate. There are no wasted words or ridiculous posturing. The flick of a wrist, raising of a brow, turn of the head all conspire to make this wickedly perfect and mesmerizing movie that is more true to the original French novel (though not exact...no movie can be for brevities sake). I like CI as entertainment but DL is in a class of its own, never since reached by any tragic drama in modern era.

[–] MovieMn1982 16 years ago

Not I. The more I see CRUEL INTENTIONS, the easier it is for me to see what a derivative piece of teenage junk it is. DANGEROUS LIAISONS, however, is classy and extremely well done.

[–] bcibiblack 16 years ago

To be fair, both films were made with entirely different audiences in mind. While it's possible to enjoy both films, it's Dangerous Liaisons that's stood the test of time, scoring with terrific performances and incredibly potent dialogue from Christopher Hampton (IMO, Frears' & Hampton's next collaboration, Mary Reilly, was just as good). I might also add Frears' film credits it's audience with a little more intelligence than Cruel Intentions - the fact that the film is actually called Cruel Intentions should signify how obvious the film is.
Special mention to James Acheson's costumes for Liaisons. He's come a long way since his Tom Baker-era Doctor Who days! :)

[–] TheMichael 16 years ago

The Michael has to give an honest opinion. But I prefered Cruel Intentions to Dangerous Liaisons. Before anyone says anything, I'd like to point out that this is just me talking (I say this because I'm arguing with a troll on the Fifth Element page, and he thinks he's better than everyone else).

But for the Michael, I could respect a movie for it's originality and creativity. But the one thing that I noticed DL didn't have a lot of was character intent. Meaning, in english, I just didn't care for any of the characters. Like, I was able to spot out the feelings of the characters because I've seen CI before, But I thought that CI had more emotion. Like the scene when Malkovich was breaking up with Pfeiffer with the hole "Beyond my control" thing. I know that he still has feelings for her, but I didn't "feel" that he had feelings for her. And after he left her it just seemed like nothing happened.

But this is just me talking. It's just what I think.

[–] noblesse_oblige 16 years ago

// But I thought that CI had more emotion //

No. Just, no.

I refuse to believe that anyone could interpret Ryan Phillipe's marble-mouth syndrome and Reese Witherspoon's heavy mouth breathing as "emotion".

Please say that you are a troll come to incite flames and hatred, and restore this old lady's faith in youth, humanity and goodness again.

[–] TheMichael 16 years ago

I'm not a troll. Didn't you even read what I was saying? I said I enjoyed the creativity of DL, but just prefered CI. So I do believe I have the right to say *beep* YOU ASS HOLE! That aside, what was wrong with the scene with Ryan Phillipe and Reese Witherspoon? I loved that scene, because I could really see how hurt the characters were. I thought it was clearer than the scene in DL.

[–] noblesse_oblige 16 years ago

Wow. Thanks for calling me an "ass hole." Good-natured sarcasm goes right over your head, doesn't it? I guess I should have added a few winking smileys and a few "lol" type things for clarity.

We all enjoy different things, or whatever. The fact that you prefer CI to DL...disturbs me deep within the dark, secret places of my soul, but I think that you are young yet, and hopefully you will come to see the light in time!

[–] TheMichael 16 years ago

1. Sarcasm? SARCASM?! How the *beep* am I supposed to know you're being sacastic? You didn't make yourself sounding sacastic, how was I suppose to know? Now you just made me look like an ass hole, you ass hole.

2. DL has Uma Thurman. That's the one thing I liked more in DL. But other than that, yah, I do prefer CI to DL by a little bit. But I don't think I'll be "seeing the light" any time soon. I just like the portraital of the character chemestry more in CI.

[–] matthewbeck123 16 years ago

"The fact that you prefer CI to DL...disturbs me deep within the dark, secret places of my soul"

Rather dramatic, don't you think?
I think classifying Cruel Intentions as a banal, 'teenage' movie debases its purpose of entertaining, not enlightening its audience. While I will always agree that DL is a much better adaptation of the novel, I enjoyed CI's ability to adapt the general plot of "Les Liasons Dangereuses" to a modern context. I'd probably have to concede that DL is the better movie (mostly due to its superb cast), but nonetheless I think CI is more appealing simply because of its racier content and unique (though not necessarily perfectly executed) spin on the novel.

[–] julie5050-1 16 years ago

Anyone who finds Cruel Intentions "better" probally also believes The Olive Garden is "fine dining" and Miley Cyrus is a" fine little actress".

[–] noblesse_oblige 16 years ago

// Rather dramatic, don't you think? //

UM... Really? Are you that dense?

[–] summer_is_gone 16 years ago

I agree with theMichael. While watching DL I was trying hard to actually feel that Valmont has developed some love feelings, but I just couldn't. I've read that John Malkovich, in spite of his brilliance, has difficulty in being flexible in acting and it seems to me that this movie is such case. Both characters - Annete and Valmont, in my opinion, expressed their feelings better in Cruel Intentions.

Reese Witherspoon at first acted as if she was confident in her beliefs, firm and steadfast which contrasted well with her later falling in love. The same with Ryan Phillippe. Michelle Pfeiffer and John Malkovich, however, maintain same facial expressions and I cannot see love in neither of their eyes.

Apart from this, I prefer DL too. I personally admired the Malkovich and Pfeiffer nude scene, because it so contrasted with the rest of the film- sophisticated costumes which keep everything hidden (only in Madame de Tourvel, of course, since other ladies demonstrated breats overtly).

[–] highdopaminelevel 16 years ago

for me it's Dangerous Liaisons that triumph over it's much younger counterpart..of course you'll find Cruel intentions to be much more "devilish, fresher,and clever" cause if you put the two films in parallel of course DL would really seem dated compared to the modern, more "now" adaptation of Laclos' Les Liaisons Dangereuses..but what i have learned the true test for a great movie is dialogue..i know you'll say that if that's the case the charts should be filled with all of Shakespeare's works and other literary world shakers..of course you'll have to see how the dialogue marries the acting..in CI, sure the lines were a shadow of the ones uttered in DL but you'll notice that the dialogue exits the actor's mouth and swills marvelously in one's mind and clings and the intricacy of the acting is far more superior..
oh and yeah, Tourvel died-according to the book- as it was because of a broken heart but if you read the novel right after she commits herself in a convent you'll learn that she has stopped eating and has become a crazy recluse..she was bound to die because she simply gave up on her life..

[–] Valerie_Vance 16 years ago

Cruel Intentions was a great adaptation for a teen film (10 Things I Hate About You achieved the same thing in the same year), but Dangerous Liaison for me is the quintessential period film.

It's an ordinary high school day. Except that it's not.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] nihilistic_tyranny 16 years ago

lol I just realized Glen Close is in both.

Everyone's going to shoot me, but I preferred Cruel Intentions BECAUSE the characters began so two dimensional, and when it finally pans out, I found myself saying "What the *beep*? Ryan Phillipe has FEELINGS?"
Not so much with DL.
Quite frankly, while DL is an amazing movie, and CI may not go down in the annals of film fame, I prefer watching CI, because it's just more fun.
DL is a classic, but CI is, as I said, just for fun.
I prefer CI, but acknowledge that DL is probably the better movie.

DeMented Forever!

[–] Valerie_Vance 15 years ago

Glenn Close isn't in both, Swoosie Kurtz is.

It's an ordinary high school day. Except that it's not.

[–] lei3 15 years ago

Yeah I think I may SLIGHTLY prefer CI over DL. I can't say why really...maybe because you can clearly see that Sebastian is falling for Annette, while in DL- you almost always second guessing- does he love her right now or is he just pretending?

So yeah...I still like DL, but I might prefer CI just a teeny tiny bit more...

[–] addison 15 years ago

Who else prefers Cruel Intentions do you ask??
i don't know, Rain Man?