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List Price: $14.94 | | Label: Sony Pictures
Salesrank: 4027
Released: August 3, 1999 |
| Our Price: $6.39 |
| Used Price: $2.95 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
This modern-day teen update of Les Liaisons Dangereuses suffered at the hands of both critics and moviegoers thanks to its sumptuous ad campaign, which hyped the film as an arch, highly sexual, faux-serious drama (not unlike the successful, Oscar-nominated Dangerous Liaisons). In fact, this intermittently successful sudser plays like high comedy for its first two-thirds, as its two evil heroes, rich stepsiblings Kathryn (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Sebastian (Ryan Phillippe), blithely ruin lives and reputations with hearts as black as coal. Kathryn wants revenge on a boyfriend who dumped her, so she befriends his new intended, the gawky Cecile (Selma Blair), and gets Sebastian to deflower the innocent virgin. The meat of the game, though, lies in Sebastian's seduction of good girl Annette (a down-to-earth Reese Witherspoon), who's written a nationally published essay entitled "Why I Choose to Wait." If he fails, Kathryn gets his precious vintage convertible; if he wins, he gets Kathryn--in the sack. When the movie sticks to the merry ruination of Kathryn and Sebastian's pawns, it's highly enjoyable: Gellar in particular is a two-faced manipulator extraordinaire, and Phillippe, usually a black hole, manages some fun as a hipster Eurotrash stud. Most pleasantly surprising of all is Witherspoon, who puts a remarkably self-assured spin on a character usually considered vulnerable and tortured (see Michelle Pfeiffer in Dangerous Liaisons). Unfortunately, writer-director Roger Kumble undermines everything he's built up with a false ending that's true to neither the reconceived characters nor the original story--revenge is a dish best served cold, not cooked up with unnecessary plot twists. --Mark Englehart
Cruel Intentions Reviews:
A Favorite From My Teen Years 
2008-07-06 - "Cruel Intentions" fascinated me as a teenager. It was the first time I saw such a sexualized yet still passionately romantic story with such moral ambiguity on film. It was also the first time I saw a story of redemption aimed at my age group, and found myself really sympathizing with Sebastian's character. And even then, I recognized that the soundtrack was fantastic.
However, now looking at this movie as an adult with vastly more film-watching experience, I can't help but think I gave the movie a bit more credit than it deserved. Stylistically it's still stunning, but the writing and acting wasn't as good as I remembered. Many of the scenes from the beginning, all the way to the middle, of the movie fall flat. The infamous Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blaire kissing scene really feels contrived and gratuitous, and a lot of it just doesn't feel like it flows naturally. For the most part, Selma Blaire gives a really weak performance, but that is likely as much a fault of the script as it is her acting.
At this point, in watching the movie, I was scared that I was about to realize that one of my favorite movies from my teen years, in reality, sucks. However, something happened about half way through. The writing caught its stride, the story blossomed and, driven by the beautiful soundtrack, the main character of Sebastian goes through huge character moments that really, really worked well. And the climax and ending scene of the movie simply couldn't be better. Is it as good as I remembered? Certainly not. But it also really is still a strong movie that had a bit of an unbalanced and weak beginning through middle. The second half of the movie and the soundtrack (which is literally the best use of music I've seen in a film) totally make up for that. It's no longer one of my favorites, but I'd still watch it again.
7/10
Impressive! Feels like Gossip Girl the Movie.
2008-05-24 - I didn't expect much from this film. I just picked it out of curiosity, and to my surprise, I enjoyed this movie. It was better than I thought. I felt watching a movie version of Gossip Girl. I am always fascinated by high society, and with all that power, how it can affect one's life.
The movie does have subtle message, but for me, it was jut about learning the art of seduction. :)
Pretty cool.
Frivolous reinterpretation of Les Liaisons Dangereuse, done very well.
2007-11-06 - For a movie on a really tight budget, using (at the time) B list talent, this one's done well. Les Liaisons Dangereuse is the precursor text, and updating it to late 20th century Manhattan does not damage the story at all -- the societies (pre-Revolutionary France and modern urban-extravagant culture) are eerily similar.
The production values are high, the talent is well cast and works well within their roles, and the script is pretty solid. For a teen targeted puff piece of film, this one turned out to attract the attention of others.
Dangerous Liaisons Still Dangerous and Still Riveting
2007-10-19 - Amazon has already provided the plot so I won't rehash the details here. The surprise is in the actors. When actors will be measured against Faye Dunaway, John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer they better be pretty damn good. To my great shock Sarah Michelle Geller, Reese Witherspoon, and Ryan Phillipe prove up to the task. They may not be quite as interesting as the more sophisticated cast of the older movie but they are very, very impressive. Sarah Michelle Geller. in particular, is a revelation. I would not have believed that she could play a role this nuanced, and this unlikable, with complete conviction. But she succeeds totally as the serpentine enitity who encourages the corruption in everyone around her.
Witherspoon is the "good girl" but she is smart and strong and eventually turns the tables on the Geller character with grim determination.
Phillipe is surprisingly effect as the upperclass preppie romeo/who is a completely repulsive character until he finds redemption by revealing himself in all his spiritual ugliness to the one he loves.
I think this movie was more interesting because I had seen the older film. I would strongly suggest getting both to heighten your enjoyment of each version of the story.
Parenthetically, Geller was exceptionally alluring in this project, a quality that I never saw in her other work.
Playing the game. 
2007-09-15 - Cruel Intentions is a movie you have to see to believe. Sarah Michelle Gellar has never been more bitchy and Reese Witherspoon has never been more pure. Both of these beauties bring strength and humor to their roles and Ryan Philippe became a heartthrob after this movie was released, although he doesn't quite have much range as an actor then. This film is all about playing wicked games on the innocent which is Witherspoon's character, secrets come out and vengence is seeked. This film is sorta campy but very enjoyable. Can you say guilty pleasure? This is a must-see. Enjoy!
