Cruel Intentions 2

Cruel Intentions 2 (also known as Cruel Intentions 2: Manchester Prep or simply as Manchester Prep) is a 2000 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Roger Kumble, starring Robin Dunne, Sarah Thompson, Keri Lynn Pratt, and Amy Adams. It is a prequel to Cruel Intentions (1999) and was released direct-to-video on March 13, 2001. Both films are based on Les Liaisons dangereuses by Choderlos de Laclos.

Cruel Intentions 2
DVD cover
Directed byRoger Kumble
Produced byNeal H. Moritz
Written byRoger Kumble
Starring
Music byP.J. Hanke
CinematographyJames R. Bagdonas
Edited by
Production
companies
Distributed byColumbia TriStar Home Video
Release date
  • November 9, 2000 (2000-11-09) (Hungary)
  • March 13, 2001 (2001-03-13) (United States)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Originally planned as a television series called Manchester Prep, a re-imagined prequel series to the first film, it was picked up by Fox, however, it was cancelled prior to broadcast in September 1999. Due to the cancellation, the three completed episodes were edited together into film re-titled Cruel Intentions 2, and sexual content scenes involving nudity were added for the DVD release. This film is about how Sebastian Valmont and Kathryn Merteuil met and how they started their reign of terror.[1][2]

Plot

Troublemaker student Sebastian Valmont (Robin Dunne) is transferring to Manchester Prep following his father's new marriage to a wealthy divorcee. His current principal is insistent on having Sebastian's permanent record relayed to his new school, hampering his chance for a fresh start, but Sebastian retaliates by pulling a cruel stunt on his wife.

Following his arrival in New York, Sebastian discovers the wealth of his new family and first meets his deceitful and determined step-sister Kathryn Merteuil (Amy Adams). He is quickly able to better her both at piano and vocabulary. This leads to a confrontation between Kathryn and Sebastian whereby she says he "better not interfere" with her comfortable lifestyle.

While waiting to meet his new headmaster, Sebastian encounters Danielle Sherman (Sarah Thompson), who turns out to be Headmaster Sherman's daughter. Luckily, Sebastian swapped his permanent record for an excelling one before it was sent to the headmaster's office, and he can now start with a clean slate.

At the school assembly, Kathryn delivers a speech to her classmates. She's persistently interrupted by uncontrollable hiccups from a student, who then begins to choke on the gum that she was chewing to stop her hiccups. She is saved by the quick action of Danielle who performs the Heimlich, allowing her to expel the gum, which flies into Kathryn's hair. A meeting of a secret society of student elites, presided by Kathryn, takes place, deciding upon the fate of the new students. This leads them to Cherie (Keri Lynn Pratt), the student with the hiccups, as well as the discovery that Cherie's family is wealthier than that of Kathryn; this, along with the events of the assembly, causes Kathryn to seek a vendetta against Cherie.

Sebastain and Danielle become fast friends and Sebastian has a crush on her. They even swap stories about their lives. Sebastian's mother was a drug addict and his parents split up when he was a kid. His father was chartering boats in Miami, met Kathryn's mother and married her. Sebastian is living one day at a time with all that wealth. Sebastian and Kathryn just started out of bickering step siblings. Sebastian already caught his father sleeping around in his yacht behind Kathryn's mother back.

Sebastian, being from a more humble upbringing, wishes to befriend the house staff. Doing so angers Kathryn, as she couldn't contact her driver. This, combined with her jealousy of Sebastian, causes her to admit that she is unhappy with her life. Sebastian attempts to woo Danielle: first, asking her for coffee at her work; then later, calling. It eventually evolves into a relationship, but Kathryn, seeing this, uses it as a way to get back at Sebastian. She tries to lure him away from Danielle by tempting him with identical twins, who confide to Sebastian that Danielle is the only virgin at Manchester.

Kathryn's attempt to sabotage Cherie backfires, when Kathryn's mother tells her to befriend her, to encourage Cherie's mother to donate a large amount of money to the school. In the end, Sebastian stays with Danielle; professes his love for her, only to discover she does not reciprocate. In fact Danielle is alongside Kathryn in a secret plan to dupe Sebastian. Defeated, Sebastian states "if you can't beat them, join them", leading to a threesome with Danielle and Kathryn, followed by an alliance of the three to dominate and manipulate others. Danielle gave Sebastian a journal to write down everything. In the last scene, Cherie is seen riding her bike, which is run over by Sebastian's car. He offers to give her a ride, having sex with her. Kathryn and Danielle are seen, in the front of the car, pleased with the results.

Cast

Soundtrack

In the film credits, Edward Shearmur's music from Cruel Intentions and Stephen Endelman's music from Jawbreaker are listed as being used in the film.

Other songs used in the film include:

  • Thin Lizard Dawn - Weed
  • Thin Lizard Dawn - "Under the Wing"
  • Jessica Theely - "In Good Time"
  • The Julie Band - "Bad Day"
  • Cupcakes - "Blood Thirsty"
  • Treble Charger - "Left Feeling Odd"
  • Gearwhore - "Passion"
  • Jessica Sheely - "No Regrets"
  • Bernie Barlow - "I Wanna Know Where Nowhere Is"
  • Thin Lizard Dawn - "Turn Yourself In"
  • Michael Greenspan - "I Want You"
  • Lorna Vallings - "Taste"
  • Shelly O'Neil - "Best Friend"
  • Shelly Peiken - "Good to Me"
  • Shelly O'Neil - "Make It Happen"
  • The Julie Band - "Julie Goes Home Now"
  • Jessica Sheely - "Feel Something"
  • The Smithereens - "All Revved Up"
  • The Smithereens - "The Last Good Time"

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 17% based on reviews from 12 critics.[3]

See also

References
  1. Snow, Shauna (8 October 1999). "Arts And Entertainment Reports From The Times, News Services And The Nation's Press". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  2. Bianculli, David (1 November 2002). "BEFORE SHOW CAN AIR, FOX SCRUBS 'GRUBBS'". New York Daily News. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  3. "Cruel Intentions 2 (2000)". Rotten Tomatoes.
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