Dangerous Liaisons review: Netflix releases yet another adaptation of a classic that drowns in modernity

The latest adaptation of the classic Les Liaisons dangereuses is set in the contemporary world, with characters that walk right out of the world of social media. Yet, the movie drowns in exactly what it hoped would help it stand out.

Dangerous Liaisons

Story:

Célène moves to a new town from Paris with her father, where she meets Tristan, a social media sensation. She soon finds herself in the middle of a game of staking between Tristan and his camera girlfriend, Vanessa. 

Review:

If you are a fan of popular cinema, chances are you’ve seen the 1988 period drama Dangerous Liaisons, starring Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Uma Thurman. And if you are a book worm, chances are that you’ve read Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ Les Liaisons dangereuses. The book offers a story of multiple human emotions and contortions so compelling that Hollywood made another movie based on it called Cruel Intentions in 1999. So it's been a few years, so Netflix has decided to put that old wine in a new bottle and, to make things worse, surround it with the lives of influencers. 

It follows Célène (Paola Locatelli), who moves to Biarritz, a peaceful seaside town, with her father.She is set to go to school there as well, and she runs into Tristan (Simon Rerolle) after he saves Célène’s dog from being run over. And thus begins their connection and story of romance before we see the town newbie become the focal point of a high-stakes bet between Tristin and his social media girlfriend, Vanessa (Ella Pellegrini). What follows is the story, and while it is all too similar to the adaptations of the 233-year-old story, it is set in the present day.

The movie revolves around social media, online popularity, and just rich, bratty kids who think they can control how the earth spins. This being the case, one would point this out to be the thing that puts the movie apart. Yet, this is the same thing that drowns the movie from being a winner. Many people nowadays find the influencer lifestyle to be irritating, and a movie based on it does not help.However, this does act as a trigger for a number of plot developments and humour, which is the one good takeaway from the movie. 

Having said that the movie is based on the classic, Netflix’s latest version also has elements of manipulation, revenge, guilt, ethics, and society at play at the heart of its story. In addition, Netflix adds discussions of mental health to the movie, which was unlikely to have been a topic of discussion when Pierre Choderlos de Laclos first wrote the original. At the end, it came out as nothing but a gimmick to me, as the makers just felt the need to keep adding elements to try and keep the movie separate from its earlier adaptations. But even after trying hard, the movie becomes just a weaker and more annoying version of Cruel Intentions. 

There aren't a lot of things that work for the movie, but the setting is definitely one of them. Yet one has to feel that even with a picturesque French beachside setting available for the taking, the director and cinematographer seriously underperform. To make matters worse, the acting from more or less everyone involved in the movie is just either strictly passable or just unacceptable. While Paola Locatelli tries to navigate the waters of a difficult story which calls for a certain capability in emotional acting, the viewer can come to the judgemental conclusion that the only reason for her to get the role is her own social media presence in the real world, and they wouldn’t be wrong. 

So, while trying to come up with its own differentiators as it tells a story that has been told and retold before, this version of Dangerous Liaisons set with snotty social media stars still has nothing new to offer. To add to this, one could feel that exactly what they thought could help it stand out, brings it down. 

Having said all this, there could still be a section of moviegoers that could enjoy this modernised version of the classic. If you do enjoy teen dramas and find yourself getting drawn to a movie with a good looking case, despite it not being the best of creations, then by all means, spend time with the movie. If not, just stay away and watch Stephen Frears' Dangerous Liaisons or even Cruel Intentions if you don’t enjoy period pictures. 

Verdict:

Netflix’s modernised version of Dangerous Liaisons is only a less than decent attempt, which tries to offer a very different angle. While there are a few random laughs, the movie is drowned by exactly what the makers thought could give it a new lease of life.

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