A Heady Comedy (film review only) (Casanova (DVD))

Member Name: TheChocolateLady

Product:	Casanova (DVD)
Date:	09/06/07 (132 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great fun from start to finish - overall excellent film

Disadvantages: Innacurate historically, and not very erotic (which could be a good thing)

Casanova is a man who loves to love women. He is sure that women are meant for pleasure, and pleasure alone, and that seems to make him happy. That is, until he meets Francesca Bruni - a woman who has a different idea about the true meaning of love, and isn't willing to be subservient or just a sex object. Casanova is intrigued and finds pursuing her can't be done in his usual manner. Unfortunately, she's betrothed to another, and Casanova is being pursued by the Church, who is forcing him to find a wife to save himself - hopefully one that will help him financially as well.

If the story of the "world's greatest lover" isn't excellent fodder for a film, then absolutely nothing is. We all have heard of the legendary Don Juan, and several interpretations of that story have cropped up over the ages. But Casanova was a real person, and unfortunately, this movie isn't an accurate biography of that man. Director Lasse Hallstrom's Casanova, played by Heath Ledger, is something else altogether, and while the basic premises of this historical character's famed womanizing remains, that seems to be one of the very few accuracies included in this film. Yes, the Casanova was arrested by the Church, but he wasn't sentenced to death - just five years of prison. And apparently, the opening sequence with the nun, might have some truth in it. Nothing else seems to be consistant with reality, except that one biographer believed that Casanova preferred to seduce intelligent women, and found those he couldn't talk to, to be unattractive to him.

But I'm not sure any of that has any bearing on this film. Why not? Simply because historical accuracy might have made this into a stodgy and boring film. Instead, the screen writers have taken just the juicy and fun parts of the real Casanova, and mixed in many solid comedic and romantic mechanisms. Combine that with the Hallstrom's touches of slapping it into a fabulous setting, flooding it with just the right baroque soundtrack, dousing it with luscious costumes, and gathering a cast that is provocative, intelligent and talented, you just can't lose.

This movie is a totally fun romp, and I can't imagine anyone watching this film not having a smile on their faces from start to finish. Heath Ledger, while not looking overly hunky (nor, thankfully, pretty) in this film, shows the ability to exude the type of sexual charm that makes a woman's heart skip a beat. I've admired Ledger's work in the past, and found that he has an incredible range to him. This part reminded me that he can do comedy and romantic lead roles with just as much aplomb as he can the serious, action and darker parts. He is a face I'll be watching for in the future, as long as the scripts don't let him down.

Sienna Miller plays Francesca here, and while she was unfamiliar to me, I appreciated that the only other role I'd seen her in (playing the part of Nikki in the remake of the movie "Alfie") was so differently acted than what I saw here, that I didn't recognize her at all. That shows talent and an intelligence in part choices (meaning she's not going to let herself be type-cast), which I always appreciate. The excellent acting jobs for these main characters, combined with Jeremy Irons' always marvellous performance as the Church's inquisitor Pucci, together with a whole cast that looked like they were wholly intrenched in their parts and enjoying every minute, always rubs off on the audience.

What I really liked about this movie was the fact that along with all the physical humour and situation comedy, combined with extensive verbal humour, there is another aspect to this story. That aspect is, that when all is said and done, the most sensitive of all the erogenous zones a human has is their mind. Understanding this and using it to underpin the whole movie, turned this from being a simple-minded slapstick comedy (a la the shite that, say, Steve Martin does) into the type of truly intelligent farce that is all too rare these days. Mind you, there have been some critics who have disapproved of this film due to the lack of eroticism included. For those who found this film lacking because of this, all I can say is, perhaps they don't have the full use of their most sensitive erogenous zone! (Sorry!)

For me, the movie Casanova was just perfect. Not overly mushy with the romance, and not overly physical with the comedy. It had excellent performances, a cast that worked together like a well oiled machine, a witty script, even-handed direction and all with some glorious sets and costumes set to music that complemented it all. I'm going to give it five stars and highly recommend it. Moreover, I'm going to buy it on DVD as soon as I can. Yes, this is one to add to your collection, since whenever you need to put a smile on your face, this is one movie that will do it for you.

Thanks for reading!

Davida Chazan © June 2007

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Technical Stuff:

The official web site for this movie can be found at http://video.movies.go.com/casanova/

The DVD is available from Amazon new for £6.97 or via their marketplace from £3.50 and has the following details listed:

Actors: Heath Ledger, Stephen Greif, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons, Oliver Platt
Format: Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen , Language: English, Region: Region 2 ( DVD formats.), Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1, Number of discs: 1, Classification: 12, Run Time: 112 minutes
ASIN: B000F8ZLDS.
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Summary: Film only review of the movie Casanova with Heath Ledger