Dangerous Beauty (1998)

Director:

Marshall Herskovitz

Writers (WGA):

Margaret Rosenthal (book)
Jeannine Dominy (written by)

Release Date:

20 February 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Passion. Seduction. Betrayal. A Scandalous Love Story.

Plot:

A Venetian courtesan becomes a hero to her city, but later becomes the target of an inquisition by the Church for witchcraft.

Plot Keywords:

Courtesan | Inquisition | Poetry | Serenade | Mob

Cast

Catherine McCormack	...	Veronica Franco
Rufus Sewell	...	Marco Venier
Oliver Platt	...	Maffio Venier
Fred Ward	...	Domenico Venier
Naomi Watts	...	Giulia De Lezze
Moira Kelly	...	Beatrice Venier
Jacqueline Bisset	...	Paola Franco
Jeroen Krabbé	...	Pietro Venier
Joanna Cassidy	...	Laura Venier
Melina Kanakaredes	...	Livia
Daniel Lapaine	...	Serafino Franco
Justine Miceli	...	Elena Franco
Jake Weber	...	King Henry
Simon Dutton	...	Minister Ramberti
Grant Russell	...	Francesco Martenengo

Also Known As:

The Honest Courtesan (UK) (USA) (working title)
A Destiny of Her Own (Australia)
Courtesan (USA) (working title)
Venice (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some scenes of strong sexuality, and for nudity and language.

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Singapore:M18 | USA:R (certificate #35176) | Philippines:R-18 | Australia:M | Cyprus:Cat. 3 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Odescalchi Castle, Bracciano, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Regency Enterprises

Trivia:

The real Veronica Franco had 6 children, three of whom died in infancy.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the end of Veronica's sword fight with Maffeo, Veronica jumps into the gondolas. As she does so, she discards the black cape she already had thrown down on the staircase in both gondolas.

Quotes:

Maffio Venier: Personally, I didn't think Uncle was still capable of getting it up. What did you do to him to get him to publish this little of ditties.
Marco Venier: She worked for it.
Maffio Venier: Ha, I bet she did. How much do you cost these days Veronica?
Veronica Franco: If your prick is as limp as your verse, no price can buy time enough.

Soundtrack:

La Morisque

Fantastic

OK, let's face it, the reason I saw this was because of potential chemistry between Catherine McCormack and Rufus Sewell. I love both of them as actors, and I was psyched when I heard they were in a movie together.

Then I looked at the plot, and was intrigued. I'd seen a movie similar to this, Moulin Rouge. Hmm, would it be as good as that? Would it be a let down? Looking at the title and the cover, I wasn't expecting too much. Soft porn, maybe? Eh, probably. But I rented it anyways, simply because I was in the mood for a period piece, and Rufus Sewell is easy on the eyes. :)

The movie ended up becoming one of my absolute favorites. It is sumptuously filmed, gorgeous, like staring at a beautiful painting for hours. Every piece of colors and cinematography is top notch. The acting between Sewell and McCormack is amazing, astounding. I fell in love with their romance. The film hasn't left me long after I saw it. The score is brilliant. George Fenton is an emotional genius. If you want to hear more of his stuff just check out Ever After, starring Dougray Scott and Drew Barrymore. :)

I really want to buy this movie. It works so well, and it is just really, really good. It's a movie to be felt, not explained. If you love intriguing plot lines, romance, and period pieces, then I highly recommend you check this out. :)