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PRODUCER: |
Betsy Beers (TV: Grey’s Anatomy), Mark Gordon (Saving Private Ryan, The Day After Tomorrow), Leslie Hollerman (Chocolat, Cider House Rules) |
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The “Master of Fornication” may have screwed us all in Casanova.
Casanova (Heath Ledger) is a legendary lover and known for the number of his female conquests. Determined to stay in Venice, until his long lost mother returns one day for him, he must avoid being arrested and hung for his recent actions of “debauchery and fornication with a novice”. He can avoid prosecution if he marries. So, he puts a plan in place to do this, until one day he meets the woman that steals his heart. She hates all that Casanova stands for so he pretends to be someone else to get her attention while still wooing his fiancée. His life gets more complicated when he impersonates a lard tycoon that is intent on marrying his love interest as well as pretends to be a popular author who has been found guilt of heresy along with impersonating a personal trainer. Other characters have secrets as well, his love interest is really the author in question, his fiancée is not the pure maiden that she looks to be and his love interest’s mother is in love with her daughter’s fiancé. If that all sounds confusing, it is. At some point, the story is too confusing to believe or follow anything that is happening. Finally, to make the story even more unbelievable, Casanova leaves Venice, someone else assumes his identity and no one notices Casanova now looks like a completely different guy.
The overwhelming strength of Casanova is its magnificent - even flamboyant - wardrobe and set designs. Beyond that, it’s a dud. The dialogue is unremarkable, and Heath Ledger’s lackluster performance – in sharp contrast to his performance in a similar role in A Knight’s Tale - is consistent with that of the remaining cast. There are a handful of mildly humorous moments, but the potentially cute story is both difficult to follow and ridiculously absurd. By the end, the situation is so manufactured that even with the elaborate and colorful scenery, it’s difficult to watch.
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