Watching Close play her is like watching a python wrap itself around its prey, waiting until the right moment to squeeze the breath out of it. It’s electrifying and erotic. The shift is almost imperceptible until it’s right there on the screen, aflame in Valmont’s face. When Valmont challenges her, pinning her against the wall and demanding sex, she reminds him: “I’m better at this than you are.” The Marquise never marries (“despite a bewildering amount of offers,” she says, flexing) because she cannot tolerate being ordered around by a man. It’s the only time she raises her voice.
