Cruel Intentions

Rich and devious step-siblings (a velvety vile Ryan Phillippe and bitchy Sarah Michelle Gellar) plot the sexual conquest, manipulation and destruction of other Manhattan teens while wagering on the seduction of a virginal prep student (Reese Witherspoon). This modern, designer version of 1782’s Les Liaisons Dangereuses sticks close to the original storyline but sacrifices seasoned wickedness for youthful decadence. Under Roger Kumble’s bland direction, this sexual potboiler sports more gorgeously capped teeth and bratty melodrama than genuine anguish.