Moral Decline

Arizona Daily Wildcat photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures Sebastian (Ryan Phillippe) gives Kathryn (Sarah Michelle Gellar) a geeky yet enjoyable massage in "Cruel Intentions."

A lot of you have probably already written off "Cruel Intentions" as just the latest in the current barrage of mindless teen-flicks. This is a mistake.

True, the faces on screen may call to mind some of film's less inspired moments, most notably "I Know What You Did Last Summer," since the two leads, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillipe, both starred in that movie as well. But both Gellar and Phillipe are talented actors, as they deftly prove here, reaffirming the credo that a movie can never be any better than the script behind it.

And this script is a true mischievous delight. Based on the classic novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses, "Cruel Intentions" does an excellent job of updating a classic tale for a modern time and a young audience. Following on the heels of three other screen adaptations of Pierre Laclos' 18th century tale of deception and intrigue, the cast of "Cruel Intentions" is faced with inevitable comparisons to the actors who have taken on their roles in the past, such as John Malkovich, Glenn Close, Michelle Pfeiffer and Uma Thurman in "Dangerous Liaisons." However, they're given the luxury of recreating these characters and making them their own, as opposed to taking on the French aristocrats of the original story.

Phillipe is especially captivating as Sebastian Valmont, a truly Machiavellian young man who delights in the corruption and degradation of others for his own amusement. He sleeps with whoever he wants by saying whatever they want to hear, or being whoever they want him to be. As a study in amorality, he is a pure gem. Phillipe uses the amorphous quality of his character to explore a broad range of personality affects and traits, showing off his ability to shift seamlessly from one character to another within the context of the film, which, of course, speaks volumes for his ability as an actor. It's high time, too, as Phillipe has been in serious danger of becoming cinema's token pretty boy as of late, with a few too many weightless roles under his belt.

As Phillipe's step-sister, Kathryn, Gellar is also cunningly delightful, which is all the more appealing considering the fact that the role is so far removed from the overwhelming goodness of her usual fare, TV's "Buffy The Vampire Slayer." Kathryn and Sebastian make a game of their deceits, working both together and against one another to outdo their own manipulative deeds; when Kathryn asks Sebastian to corrupt a young girl (Selma Blair) starting at their prestigious private school, he almost refuses because it's "too easy."

The real challenge is Annette Hargrove (Reese Witherspoon), the daughter of the new school headmaster, who will be starting his tenure at summer's end. Annette has pledged to remain a virgin until she finds true love. This is one conquest Sebastian can't resist. Of course, he doesn't count on the fact that he might actually have a heart.

It's easy to make a comparison to Shakespeare with "Cruel Intentions," as all of the main elements of a Shakespearean tragedy are there - the manipulations, the intrigue, the deception, the emotion, and in the end, just desserts for all who deserve them. No one comes out clean, of course, but then again, Hamlet hardly got a good break either.

Of course, you probably wouldn't see two teenage girls making out on a lawn in Shakespeare, but hey, it is the 90s. Besides, the point isn't that this movie will survive down the ages - just that it's really nice to see something like this out there today.