Casanova
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Movie Reviews of Casanova
Movie Review: Mistaken identity and other comical devices
Summary: 4 Stars
This is an entertaining film, a light comedy of errors and mistaken identity, complimented by a talented cast, superb art direction and costume design.
The comical plot device of mistaken identity is ancient, showing up in the myths of the Greeks and Romans and Shakespeare's comedies. This film takes this strategy to the extremes with almost every leading character taking on the identity of other characters resulting in confusion and witty situational dialogue. Casanova takes on the identity of wealthy lard merchant Paprizzio so as to seduce Paprizzio's fiancé Francesca. Francesca takes on the identity of a fictional male philosopher of women's rights. Francesca's clumsy, love-sick brother Giovanni takes on the identity of Casanova. As the film continues the intended lovers find new and more compatible lovers while the evil agents of the Catholic Church, such as Bishop Pucci, are confounded by all the switches and reversals of fortune and plot.
The cast is superb and Health Ledger does a good job of playing Casanova. However he is surrounded by exceptional actors, many of whom steal every scene in which they are placed. Sienna Miller plays Francesca, an early feminist who resists Casanova's attentions. Jeremy Irons shows his comic talents as he overplays the villainous Bishop Pucci. However there were four actors who were exceptional. Lena Olin plays Andrea Bruni, the beautiful widow plotting to have her daughter married to a wealthy man. Oliver Platt plays Paprizzio the wealthy lard merchant, and he steals every scene he is in with his delivery of lines and facial expressions and physical presence. Omid Djalili is superb as Casanova's put upon man servant Lupo, constantly trying to cover-up all the switched identities and double dealings. Charlie Cox is very good as the goofy, clumsy younger brother Giovanni who grows from love sick puppy to legendary lover.
The sets and art direction are exceptional. The re-creation of Venice was outstanding with exceptional attention to the grandeur and architectural details that permeate the city. Costume design was excellent and sumptuous. The sound track was also excellent - containing the light energetic 18th century works for which Venice is known and which perfectly match this comedy.
Overall this is an entertaining film of light comedy, containing enough plot twists to keep your attention, finely acted especially by some of the secondary characters, and beautiful to watch.
Movie Review: Chase After Chaste
Summary: 4 Stars
Legendary lover, Casanova (Heath Ledger), is the amore' of many beautiful Venetian woman. His predilection is to deflower innocent women, and his favorite market is the local nunnery. He can be considered a popular or a notorious lover, depending on whom you ask. Nevertheless, his escapades only get him into deep trouble with the local chapter of the Inquisition. (Back then sins were crimes and could be negotiated at a high price.) In all fairness the local bishop is kind and merciful, a safe haven for the frolicking young lethario. But, the bishop's resourcefulness has limits, and it is at one point that he makes an ultimatum: Casanova must avoid further trouble, marry someone, and stay chaste until his wedding day. Predictably, it is then that he finds the love of his life, Francesca (Sienna Miller), but finds his interest unrequited. (One of the great aspects of the movie is her mature philosophy about love. She so articulately presents the difference between love and lust in all its forms and expressions.) Ironically, just when he keeps his nose the cleanest, Casanova gets into the most trouble. He takes several identities to allude the grasp of the Inquisition and weaves the greatest deceptions to woo the interest of Francesca, while staying out of the tangles of many courtship connections. Casanova easily evades the grasp of the Inquisition until the head is replaced by the highly motivated Cardinal Pucci (Jeremy Irons). Then, it starts to get tricky.
This movie is thoroughly pleasant and fun-filled. The lines are often witty, the characters are enjoyable, and the costumes and scenery are eye-catching. There is a formula at work, though: The movie contains dueling and wooing, as well as several chase scenes. However, the movie's execution is notably smooth and skillful. The handling of the story is often original and not always predictable. It must also be said the classical music (Vivaldi, et al) makes the mood magnificent, even more so than most movies. Similar pictures are often tiresome, but this one is easy to follow. The viewer can see this movie without having to concentrate too much on the plot. The atmosphere is breezy enough to be pleasant, but absorbing and exciting enough to be substantial.
Movie Review: It's a romp--a romp, I tell you!!!
Summary: 4 Stars
As we all know, Heath Ledger has been in many, many bad movies. Will he ever live down The Order? I don't think so--not with me, anyway. So I was a little worried about this movie because, even though it looked exactly like the sort of thing I would like, Heath Ledger was in it. BUT--so was Oliver Platt (is he making a living out of being in every movie about Venice or what?). So I decided to give it a try.
Basically, this movie is GREAT! It's a romp--a romp, I tell you!!! Ledger is actually really good and believable (never thought I'd say that) as Giacomo Casanova, the guy who wouldn't be able to avoid getting into trouble if he tried, which he actually does for about five minutes. The screenplay is very well-written and near-flawlessly plotted, and leans more toward slapstick who's-on-first type comedy than romance, which is good because it works. There's also a twist at the end of the movie that I never saw coming. Everyone loves a twist.
This movie also gets props from me for the scenery. I love watching a movie and being like, "Oh, I've been there!"
The movie does its down sides: the ending doesn't really make sense (how did Victoria learn how to duel???), but did you really expect it to? Also, I find it hard to believe no one's pissed at Casanova--but oh well!
There are so many great characters in this movie that it's difficult to pick just one that I totally loved, but at this point I'm going to vote for Victoria, the lustful virgin. Hilaaaaaarious. Of course, Oliver Platt was also great as the rotund, slightly dense, yet lovable lard merchant. And Jeremy Irons (you didn't think this movie would be without Jeremy Irons in it, did you?) plays the 18th-century version of Pat Robertson. Ha ha.
The only downer in this movie is Casanova's real life. I kept waiting for him to be imprisoned in the Doge's Palace and for his true love to die of consumption while he's there. Poor guy. But if I hadn't known about his real-life adventures, I never would have expected the ax to drop, so to speak.
Overall, this is a really great movie. If you like movies like St. Ives or The Scarlet Pimpernell, you will definitely enjoy this one.
Movie Review: Carry On Casanova
Summary: 4 Stars
If you're old enough to have seen the "Carry On" movies the first time around, or have watched them on DVD on "oldies night", (don't worry, we're not going to ask your age) you'll see the resemblance to this funny take on the world's greatest lover. Slapstick, double entendres and misunderstandings abound, as Heath Ledger tries to fill the trousers of the legendary lothario without getting a broken back in the process.
It takes place in 1753 in Venice, a time when no woman is safe from the charms of Casanova, not even those confined to the convent. Luckily for him he has friends in the right places and escapes being strung up for debauchery (a big word which in the movie means that he shakes a lot of bedsprings without the benefit of a marriage license)
After going one conquest too far, his friend the Doge insists that Casanova get married ASAP, or face exile from Venice. Exile is not a possibility, as we learn early in the movie that he has a very good reason for sticking around, so marriage it is, and the lady to whom he pledges his troth is not only a virgin, but extremely willing to be wed. In a classic case of bad timing, he then meets the one woman worthy of his affection, and she turns out to be a cross-dressing (but only when necessary to prove a point) feminist writer who hates every bone in his body. She unfortunately is betrothed to a corpulent but very wealthy lard merchant (Oliver Platt) whom she has never set eyes on before, the union having being arranged by her late father as an insurance policy for the family fortune.
If you're still with me after all that, things get even more complicated when Jeremy Irons shows up as Inquisitor Pucci, out for the bewigged head of Casanova as a gift for the hangman's noose.
The important thing is not to attempt to take this movie seriously as a period piece, or as a factual account of the life of Casanova. It is a historically set spoof of the life and especially the times of Casanova and should be taken with a pinch of salt - or was that lard?
Amanda Richards, July 10, 2006
Movie Review: Writers, romance, adventure. My kind of movie.
Summary: 4 Stars
Heath Ledger travels far away from Brokeback Mountain all the way to 18th century Venice, Italy to shoot a movie about a scandalous, womanizing writer named Giacomo Casanova.
Casanova's life is full of female conquests and pursuits of pleasures of the flesh. Subsequently, he pens stories of all the experiences he's accumulated, which apparently do not paint a pretty picture of the female species. Just down the canal lives the beautiful and intelligent Francesca Bruni, a young woman who challenges the archaic values that the Church and society hold against women. She does this by infiltrating university meetings held exclusively by men, and by writing seditious pamphlets touting the freedom and equal rights women should be bestowed. Of course, she writes beneath the guise of a nom de plume: "Bernardo Guardi."
Casanova's free-loving life takes a turn for the worse after he sleeps with a nun who also happens to be the cardinal's little sister. As punishment, the doge of Venice tells him to marry a respectable woman from a good family or else risk permanent expulsion from Venice. A series of events leads Casanova to meet the free-spirited Francesca Bruni, and he finds himself falling in love with her. Unlike the other women of Venice, Francesca turns out to be a conquest much more difficult to attain. The movie takes off with a flourish when Casanova's desires leads him into a brilliant tangle of clever lies and intrigue.
The film starts out a little slow, but once we get one third of the way in, it becomes exciting. The movie is clever, funny, and surprisingly adorable. Even Sienna Miller, whom I normally despise, is very likeable as Francesca. How can I hate a woman whose passion is writing?
The one thing that gets me, and it's hard to admit because I liked the movie, is that the ending is a little weak. Other than that, it's an easy, enjoyable film.