The Marquise de Merteuil (Glenn Close) and the Vicomte de Valmont (John Malkovich) display the petty jealousies and jaded insouciance of living from France's royal court in the 18th century, also softly destroying the lifestyles of p Merteuil's younger romantic rival (Uma Thurman), the audio educator (Keanu Reeves) for whom she secretly pines as well as the upstanding Madame de Tourvel (Michelle Pfeiffer).