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Dangerous Liaisons
Sporting a relatively high budget, big production values, and an all-star cast, the latest filmic adaptation of the French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses (aka Dangerous Liaisons) is a pan-Asian production that takes place in the chaos of 1930s Shanghai. While you're most likely familiar with the source material and know how this story plays out, if you're a fan of the actors featured here, this sweeping romantic picture is still worth watching, even though it feels like no one involved is really straining themselves artistically all that much.
As stated before, the story here doesn't stray too far from the source material. Two bored rich people, Xie Yifan (Jang Dong-Gun) and Mo Jieyu (Cecilia Cheung), make an unusual bet regarding the takeover of the womanly virtues of Du Fenyu (Zhang Ziyi). Thus ensues a series of bedding, near-beddings, and double-crosses, as all involved begin questioning their feelings for each other.
As this is a production produced primarily for a Mainland China audience, there is, of course, some not so thinly veiled pro-communist propaganda, as one of the characters shows an allegiance to the soon to be occupying Japanese forces. Chinese government censorship also shows itself in the form of the sex scenes, or, more accurately, the lack thereof. While no one would really expect this to be a Category III/NC-17 skinfest, the only nudity you're going to see here is a bare back -- and that is played out like it's full frontal of the Virgin Mary.
In the end, though, Dangerous Liaisons showcases pretty people with petty problems hurting themselves and the ones they love for the audience's enjoyment, and it does a good enough job in setting out what it sets out to do that it warrants at least a mild recommendation, especially if you are into period dramas or would like to see a Chinese take on a classic western story. RATING: 5.5 This movie is available from Amazon. |
