Valmont (Annette Bening and Colin Firth)

Valmont is a 1989 romantic drama film directed by Miloš Forman and starring Colin Firth, Annette Bening, and Meg Tilly.

In 18th century France, the Marquise de Merteuil, a wealthy widow, learns that her secret lover Gercourt will marry Cécile de Volanges, a 15-year-old who was raised in a convent to ensure her chastity. It is rumored that Gercourt cannot easily break off relations with his former mistress who is mentally unbalanced. Angered over the hypocrisy of Gercourt's insistence on a virgin bride while keeping a lover of his own, his concealment of the upcoming marriage, and his slight of her character, Merteuil plans revenge.

She approaches her former lover, the womanizer Vicomte de Valmont, and proposes that he take Cécile's virginity before her wedding night to humiliate Gercourt. Valmont is not interested in Cécile, as he is pursuing Madame de Tourvel, a married woman. Tourvel, well known for her virtue, had been warned of Valmont's debauchery and deliberately avoids him. Merteuil makes Valmont a wager: if he succeeds in bedding Madame de Tourvel, he may also bed Merteuil if he fails, he must consign himself to a monastery.

Meanwhile, Cécile's teenage music teacher, Danceny, starts writing love letters to Cécile, and the two fall in love. After learning of this, Merteuil attempts to create opportunities for the pair to consummate their love, but Cécile is too innocent and Danceny too honorable to take advantage. Frustrated, Merteuil takes Cécile on holiday to the country estate where Valmont had gone to pursue Tourvel. When Merteuil suggests that Valmont help Cécile write love letters, he complies, goes to Cécile's room and ends up taking her virginity. Afterwards, a guilt-wracked Cécile runs to Merteuil for comfort, believing that neither her future husband nor Danceny will want her now. Merteuil encourages the girl to marry Gercourt and keep Danceny as her lover.