Dangerous Liaisons [Blu-ray] (2012)

Nobody Puts BeiBei in the Corner (Pun Intended)
Classics never go out of style. You can take any one of Shakespeare's great tragedies and set it, say, in the Bronx Zoo with talking animals and still preserve more than the lion's share (pun intended) of the dignity, drama, and pathos that the Bard intended so long as it's done right. You'd have to cast the right zebra to play Juliet, and you'd be a fool to settle for the most magnificent tiger for the part of Romeo. It'd definitely have to be lit well, and you'd better not be too stingy with the checkbook when it comes to bringing all of it to life. No doubt - if your heart and the animals are in the right place - you'll introduce a whole new generation to one splendid work of sheer genius, all on a reasonable budget, and earn kudos from the critics.

(NOTE: The following review may contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and character. If you're the kind of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I'd encourage you to skip...

A Stylish Literary Adaptation Updates A Classic Tale To 1930's Shanghai
The 18th-century French novel "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos has had a number of interpretations within my lifetime. A brilliant tale of manipulation and sexual politics, the story basks in a gleeful unpleasantness that only hints at the possibility of moral redemption. It is a clear-eyed view of the power of gamesmanship and societal gender inequality with the two protagonists waging a war that will undermine many an innocent party. Who will be the victor? Who will be the victim? And is the ultimate prize even worth winning? The original story is as much about a time and a place, though, with its dissection of the decadence and debauchery of the French aristocracy prior to the Revolution. So, it may seem like a bold move to shift the action to Shanghai in the 1930s. But while the political climate of the era may not match up exactly, the opulence of the period more than compensates. And if you like the story, this relatively faithful adaptation has...

A good remake of the original
This movie was a good remake of the original movie and I really liked the original movie. Either way it gives an eastern world spin the western original.

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