This is a terrible film. Terrible.
And the really annoying thing is that it has virtually no redeeming qualities. Yes Heath can be nice to look at, but his “phwoar” manner of speaking here is totally off-putting.
The basic plot involves Casanove being chased by the Inquisition for his various conquests and libertine lifestyle. The Doge does his best to protect him, but says that if it doesn’t arrange a marriage to a respectable young woman he will exile him from Venice. Casanova doesn’t want to leave Venice, he is waiting for his mother to return. She left him when he was but a child in order to persue her life as an actress.
So Casanova decides to marry, only after he has become engaged to Victoria he falls in love with Francesa Bruni. But alas, Francesca has been bethrothed since childhood, to a man she has never met, Paprizzio a lard merchant from Genoa. Cue a fun-filled, hilarious romp through the canals of Venice in a story of love and mistaken identity.
Well, that may have been the intent, but it didn’t succeed. Instead we get a collection of badly performed pratfalls. Did you know that people falling over is just the funniest thing ever? And do you know what makes it even funnier, when it is fat people who fall over.Yup. That is the calibre of this film. People falling over. And it aint funny. Not the first time, not the 50th time, not even the last time when Jeremy Irons tips backwards[1]
Predictable. Lacking humour. Lacking romance. Lacking action. this film doesn’t exactly live up to its IMDb genres now does it? Even the costumes aren’t fantastic enough to distract your attention. One to avoid.
IMDb | Official site | Swifty Reviews | Movie reviews for greedy capalist bastards |
- we do hope that was a stunt double. The indignity Jeremy! ↩
cheers for saving me the pain of this. It looks like a pile of muck alright
Well, I suppose that is one good thing about having seen it. I can help stop others suffering the same trauma.
That's one movie I just couldn't face the thought of. After the brilliant BBC version last year I couldn't see how it could be anything other than a disappointment.
Well, I wasn't expecting much from the film, hence the lack of disappointment. Mwa hah! (My expectations are usually pretty low when it comes to rom coms, or maybe I'm just a sucker for rom coms, hopefully not the latter)
Thanks for saving me also! I'm going to Venice next week and was thinking of seeing the film this weekend as an exercise in psyching-up.
Alan I didn't see the BBC version, so can't complain. But anything would have been better :)
Swifty, I had low expectations. Very low. This was still worse.
Ann, Enjoy Venice. It does look pretty in the film, although some of the backgrounds are very obviously special effects in order to fit in with the time period.
… this film DID make me want to go to Venice. :D
If you really want to psyche up for Venice, try the Jeremy Irons starring Brideshead Revisited. Venice as a city of light, floating on water. Set back in the twenties, before they brought in the noisy vaporettos!
Do you remember our trip to Venice and how the bed seemed to be moving up and down after a day travelling by water?
I had low expectations and ended up really enjoying this film. Just another version of to each his own. And I must be one of the brain dead cuz I loved all of Oliver Pratt's stuff in this…good, stupid fun.
I'm glad someone enjoyed it Carl :)
I laughed hysterically at Kung Fu Hustle last night thus proving that I really have no taste at all! ;)
Carl, that is one film I kept meaning to go see when it was out in the cinema, but never did.