Valmont
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Metascore
55 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 14 Critics What's this?

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  • Starring: Annette Bening, Colin Firth
  • Summary: Based on the novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Valmont (Firth) seduces a young lady on a bet from his former lover.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 14
  3. Negative: 3 out of 14
  1. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Peter Travers
    88
    The film is rapturously beautiful, enticing us into a lush, aristocratic world.
  2. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Dave Kehr
    75
    Valmont is a superb piece of craftsmanship, impeccable in every detail from lighting to costuming, but as a work of art it remains tentative and blurred. [17 Nov 1989]
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  3. Empire
    Reviewed by: Staff (Not Credited)
    60
    Making no secret of the fact that he has "freely adapted" the novel, writer Jean-Claude Carriere and Milos "Amadeus" Forman have come up with a visually mouthwatering epic treatment: beautiful, opulent, sumptuous.
  4. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Janet Maslin
    30
    For every necessary touch that Valmont has reduced or dispensed with (the climactic duel scene, for instance), there is another, less vital moment that has been expanded.

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. CitizenCharlie
    6
    Another attempt to film Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Valmont was released just one year after Stephen Frears's Dangerous Liaisons, this time directed by Milos Forman. This was Forman's next film after Amadeus and even brings along Jeffrey Jones, Ian McNiece, and Vicent Schiavelli to you remind you just how good Amadeus was. Well, Valmont is no Amadeus. In fact, it is not even Dangerous Liaisons.

    The story is very similar. This time, a very young Colin Firth tries Valmont but unfortunately is compared to John Malkovich from the previous year's film. Firth is great, but Malkovich was Valmont. There is also a very young and new Annette Bening as Marquise de Merteuil and she definitely pales in comparison to Glenn Close's Marquise. Valmont is missing the bite and sting of the dialogue which this story is made for. The verbal sparring between Valmont and the Marquise should be dialogue the audience remembers afterwards for its cleverness, but this iteration lacks the tension and the smarts. Milos Forman could have easily used the same costumes and set design he used in Amadeus, but Valmont just seems lazy compared to that effort. For newcomers to this story, watch Dangerous Liaisons instead. Watch Cruel Intentions for a laugh if you want the next generation's attempt at it.    … Expand

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