Ryan Phillippe and Sarah Michelle Gellar in Cruel Intentions
Okay peeps, I decided to tell you want I think about a rather old movie by the name of Cruel Intentions. I was talking to some of my friends last night and they commented on how 'lame' the movie was and how the acting was terrible. I've heard this from quite a few people, so I'm going to take some time to defend my beloved Cruel Intentions.
Sarah Michelle Gellar as Kathryn and Ryan Phillippe as Sebastian
Sarah Michelle Gellar as Kathryn and Ryan Phillippe as Sebastian
The movie revolves around two very wealthy step-siblings, Kathryn and Sebastian. Kathryn is a manipulative coke addict who has everyone fooled into believing that she is a wholesome, well rounded young lady, while Sebastian is more upfront about his behavior. He's known as a player and womanizer. When Kathryn finds out that her ex-boyfriend has dumped her for the all American girl next door, Annette, Kathryn hatches a plan to destroy her using Sebastian. Sebastian and Kathryn make a deal, if he doesn't sleep with Annette before summer ends then Kathryn gets his beloved car, but if he succeeds, he gets to screw Kathryn.
Ruining lives, seducing step-brothers, it's all in a day's work.
Ruining lives, seducing step-brothers, it's all in a day's work.
The movie has many twists and turns in it, but it's easy to keep up with. Cruel Intentions is actually a modern remake of the 1988 movie Dangerous Liaisons. Both films were based upon the 18th century book Dangerous Liaisons written by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. Laclos was a French aristocrat. His book was never meant to show the extreme indulgence and decadent, selfish lifestyle of the French elite, but after the Revolution, people viewed the book as a work of politics, showing that the Revolution was necessary. Both movies follow the same plot as the original book, but Cruel Intentions brings the book to a new generation by modernizing it and setting it in 1999 Manhattan as opposed to the 18th century French Court.
And they're out!
And they're out!
The acting in this is very well done, especially by actors so young. Sarah Michelle Gellar's performance stands out amongst others as the wicked and corrupt Kathryn. Gellar was actually filming Buffy the Vampire Slayer at the same time, and for her to separate herself so well from the character that millions of fans adored proves that she can pretty much act her ass off. I think this was one of her many movie rolls that proved that she can separate herself from Buffy. Sarah changes her character constantly in the movie. She has to go from goody-tu-shoes to evil bitch in a matter of seconds.
Nice shoes....
Ryan Phillippe's character goes under a dramatic change in the movie as well. His acting, while not his best, is better than anyone else could have done. His character goes from a complete nasty, perverted, devious boy to a stand up guy. He is actually able to redeem his character in the movie which is not easy to pull off. It almost reminds me of Sean Connery's character in Marnie.
So serious
Selma Blair is good as the little innocent gal gone bad, but her act does seem to go a little over bored at times. I have to give kudos to Selma and Sarah Michelle for their stellar acting during the kissing scene they have together. Sarah does an amazing job at acting like it's no big to do it, she stays in character well. The director commented on Sarah's professionalism through the entire thing. She didn't crack up once or get uneasy.
Selma Blair and SMG in the now infamous kissing scene.
Christine Baranski! Oh how I love her! She does an excellent job as the wealthy mother of Selma's character. Many people don't like how Christine has been type cast as a rich, indulgent woman in all her work, but she doesn't seem to mind, so more power to her!
Christine Baranski (in the middle)
Someone I was not a huge fan of in the movie was Reese Witherspoon. Sorry Reese! Normally I love her in everything, but I found her acting to be stale and not up to par with her previous work. She was great in Pleasantville, Twilight and who could forget Fear?! For some reason she was just not feeling this part. Toward the end she's great, I'll have to give her chops for making me cry. Her heartfelt goodbye to Sebastian was tearful.
The devious step-siblings in the luxurious room.
The wardrobe department also deserves some credit. All of the characters have their own personal style. Sebastian wears blazers and button up shirts, perfect for a playboy in Manhattan. Kathryn wears lady like dresses and chic Jackie-O suites to hide who she really is. Annette's wardrobe is conservative and plain. There's one scene I remember where the wardrobe stood out. It's a train station scene where Annette is leaving. She's wearing a red cardigan, as she's about to leave she sees Sebastian wearing a bright blue shirt. Everyone else in the station is wear neutral or darker colors. I thought that was really sharp. Another scene, Kathryn is wearing a plain, black suite while having tea with someone she's trying to impress. When that person leaves, Kathryn unbuttons her coat to reveal a corset looking top underneath pushing her breasts out and up.
The train station scene
All in all, I think the movie is wonderful. This movie is great and I highly recommend it for those in a devious mood. My final piece of advice that I've learned from this movie is don't hide your cocaine in a crucifix.
Nice shoes....
Ryan Phillippe's character goes under a dramatic change in the movie as well. His acting, while not his best, is better than anyone else could have done. His character goes from a complete nasty, perverted, devious boy to a stand up guy. He is actually able to redeem his character in the movie which is not easy to pull off. It almost reminds me of Sean Connery's character in Marnie.
So serious
Selma Blair is good as the little innocent gal gone bad, but her act does seem to go a little over bored at times. I have to give kudos to Selma and Sarah Michelle for their stellar acting during the kissing scene they have together. Sarah does an amazing job at acting like it's no big to do it, she stays in character well. The director commented on Sarah's professionalism through the entire thing. She didn't crack up once or get uneasy.
Selma Blair and SMG in Cruel Intentions
Selma Blair and SMG in the now infamous kissing scene.
Christine Baranski! Oh how I love her! She does an excellent job as the wealthy mother of Selma's character. Many people don't like how Christine has been type cast as a rich, indulgent woman in all her work, but she doesn't seem to mind, so more power to her!
Christine Baranski (in the middle)
Someone I was not a huge fan of in the movie was Reese Witherspoon. Sorry Reese! Normally I love her in everything, but I found her acting to be stale and not up to par with her previous work. She was great in Pleasantville, Twilight and who could forget Fear?! For some reason she was just not feeling this part. Toward the end she's great, I'll have to give her chops for making me cry. Her heartfelt goodbye to Sebastian was tearful.
Reese looking lovely as always.
The movie is beautiful to look at. The set designer wanted to bring the French Court into Manhattan and it worked. The luxurious penthouse that these two devious teens live in is decorated to the nines. The beauty of their surroundings contradicts drastically with their personalities. It's almost as if all the decor radiates with light. Kathryn's room, in particular, is beautiful, and it's the darkest painted room in the entire movie, this gives you a hint that all the characters are redeemable, except for her. Cherries are also seen through out the movie, symbolizing the loss of innocence.
The devious step-siblings in the luxurious room.
The wardrobe department also deserves some credit. All of the characters have their own personal style. Sebastian wears blazers and button up shirts, perfect for a playboy in Manhattan. Kathryn wears lady like dresses and chic Jackie-O suites to hide who she really is. Annette's wardrobe is conservative and plain. There's one scene I remember where the wardrobe stood out. It's a train station scene where Annette is leaving. She's wearing a red cardigan, as she's about to leave she sees Sebastian wearing a bright blue shirt. Everyone else in the station is wear neutral or darker colors. I thought that was really sharp. Another scene, Kathryn is wearing a plain, black suite while having tea with someone she's trying to impress. When that person leaves, Kathryn unbuttons her coat to reveal a corset looking top underneath pushing her breasts out and up.
The train station scene
All in all, I think the movie is wonderful. This movie is great and I highly recommend it for those in a devious mood. My final piece of advice that I've learned from this movie is don't hide your cocaine in a crucifix.
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