Dangerous Liaisons (2012)

Some stories never get old no matter how often they’re told. Such is the case for the Pierre Choderlos de Laclos novel “Les Liaisons dangereuses” (1782). More than a century after its publication, the French romance made it to the big screen via Roger Vadim’s skinternational flick Les Liaisons dangereuses (1959) starring Jeanne Moreau and Annette Vadim. Next came the Stephen Frears adaptation Dangerous Liaisons (1988) featuring Michelle Pfeiffer and nudecomer Uma Thurman. Hot on its heels was the Miloš Forman version Valmont (1989) with Annette Bening and Meg Tilly. If that’s not enough, the setting was modernized for Reese Witherspoon in Cruel Intentions (1999). Yet it returned to the 18th century in the STARZ series Dangerous Liaisons (2022) with Alice Englert. Of course, we can’t forget the Chinese movie Dangerous Liaisons (2012). This time around, the drama was transported to Shanghai, among the aristocracy of the 1930s. Cecilia Cheung portrays Mo Jieyu, a conniving rich bitch who bets notorious playboy Xie Yifan (Jang Dong-gun) that he can’t seduce prim and proper Du Fenyu (Zhang Ziyi). Ms. Cheung and Ms. Ziyi provide some examples of bodice-ripping at its finest. Plus, a sexy socialite (Dan Tong Han) flashes her ass as she wraps herself in a sheer sheet! The plot provides plenty of twists and double dealings but there’s no reason to try to unravel it here. Just keep your eyes peeled for the 35-minute mark when Beibei (Candy Wang) reveals her old-school skivvies and pretty peaks. Talk about an ancient Chinese secret!