History's most renowned ladies' man finally meets his match in this historical romance laced with comedy and adventure. In Venice in 1753, Giacomo Casanova (Heath Ledger) is a notorious playboy whose way with women goes too far when he's caught leaving the bedroom of a novice nun, and one of the leading prosecutors of the Inquisition, Pucci (Jeremy Irons), puts him on trial. The Doge (Tim McInnerny), Venice's political point man, is a friend of Casanova's and pulls strings to get him off the
hook and allow him to stay in the city, but under one condition -- he must take a wife and remain faithful to her. Casanova sets his sights on Victoria (Natalie Dormer), a lovely young maiden who is obviously taken with the handsome ladykiller, but he's not the only one who wants her hand. Giovanni Bruni (Charlie Cox) is a young man who is very much in love with Victoria, and in order to move him out of the picture, Casanova challenges him to a duel. However, when Casanova is bested in swords in the challenge, he discovers he's actually been parrying with Giovanni's sister, Francesca (Sienna Miller). As Casanova gets to know Francesca, he discovers she's a gifted writer and a bright and independent woman as well as a good hand with a sword, and he comes to the realization that she's the woman he wants to take to the altar. However, Francesca has already been promised to the vain and chubby Papprizzio (Oliver Platt), a man she's never met, and she doesn't seem at all interested in the notorious Casanova. Casanova also stars Lena Olin, and Omid Djalili. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Despite its oh-so deviant title character, Casanova is a harmless bon-bon, a breezy period farce that mimics lesser Shakespeare and a look that recalls Amadeus or Shakespeare in Love.
A ribald, witty costume comedy filled with delightful performances and wily plot turns, this is the sort of film that makes you wonder why more films like this aren't made.
Casanova finds [director] Hallstrom more inspired, or at least lively and engaged, than he has been in years, and he's in the company of the actor of the moment.
While not quite as irresistibly seductive as its title character, Casanova is the perfect cinematic one-night stand: charming, romantic and awfully easy on the eyes.
Heath Ledger, Omid Djalili, Senna Miller, Charlie Cox, Lena Olin, Jeremy Irons, Natalie Dormer, Oliver Platt, Lauren Cohan
DIRECTED BY: Lasse Hallstrom
Heath Ledger plays the fabled romantic as a man who, after failing to win the affection of a particular Venetian woman, strives to discover the real meaning of love.
It was a good little movie I caught on T.V, today. Entertaining with a great cast. Had great costumes and a great scenery of Venice. What I thought would be a bit more of a serious movie ended up being a very humorous one. Enjoyed it.
April 30, 2009
♥˩ƳИИ ƜѲѲƉƧ♥
Super Reviewer
I took this journey mainly because of Heath Ledger. The fact that Jeremy Irons, Lena Olin & Oliver Platt were envolved also helped.
But what I assumed would be a sort of lush period piece with a dash of period specific humor (a la' 'A Room With A View") ended up feeling more like a "slap-sticky" comedy of errors.
Beautiful costumes, sets and location shots. Had I not been expecting a more realistic "period piece" type film, the cheesy over the top acting probably wouldn't have bothered me as much.
In any case while the story is predictable, this was ammusing and a (mostly) enjoyable romp. It did make me a bit melancholy for the great things that I believe would have come from Mr. Ledger had he stayed with us longer.
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