Official Synopsis:
Heath Ledger, Academy AwardŽ nominee (Best Actor, Brokeback Mountain, 2005), stars in the scandalously funny adventure Casanova. After a lifetime of women falling head over heels in love with him, the world's legendary ladies' man (Ledger) meets the love of his life - the one woman who thinks he's a total heel. Comic chaos ensues in a hilarious whirl of misadventures, disguises, and mistaken identities as the love-struck Casanova tries to win the heart of the fiery feminist who wants nothing to do with the man she thinks he is.
Our Take:
I'm kind of surprised that after all the critical acclaim (and the Oscar nomination) that Heath Ledger received for his role in Brokeback Mountain, Buena Vista just sort of let Casanova fall by the wayside. It was released to very little fanfare on a small amount of screens, and it pretty much disappeared before it even got started. Now, it's not that I think the film would have been a giant hit; it's that sort of lighthearted romantic period comedy that's a little bit fun but a lot bland. But I do think that with Lasse Halstrom (Chocolat, The Cider house Rules) at the helm and Ledger in the lead, the film could probably have at least made its budget back if it had a stronger promotion behind it.
The best part about the film is actually its supporting cast. Ledger and Sienna Miller's chemistry is severely lacking, and Jeremy Irons is a bit too over the top in his role as an inquisitor. Oliver Platt and Lena Olin, on the other hand, are an absolute delight as the rotund and clueless Paprizzio and the sweetly scheming Lady Bruni, respectively. Once Platt enters the picture and Casanova starts adopting multiple roles in his ever-increasingly deceptive cons, the film picks up quite a bit, but it never gels entirely.
Much like the film, the DVD is a largely bland affair, with a few short features, but nothing really exceptional.
* Creating an Adventure (13 minutes) - Your basic making-of, featuring on-set interviews with most of the cast.
* Dressing in Style (5 minutes) - A look at the film's intricate costume design.
* Extended Sequence: Hidden in Plain Sight (5 minutes) - An extended scene from the film.
* Visions of Venice (4 minutes) - Focuses on the filming in the famous city.
* Commentary - Lasse Hallstrom shares his recollections of making the film.
Casanova is light, frothy, utterly harmless, and somewhat enjoyable. If you're looking for a simple romantic period romp, you can certainly do worse than this film, but it fails to live up to the promise that the trailer seemingly showed.
Overall Picture:
Movie: B-
DVD: B-
- Mike Spring
Editor
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