Casanova (2005)

Director:

Lasse Hallström

Writers (WGA):

Jeffrey Hatcher (screenplay) and
Kimberly Simi (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

25 December 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A partially true story about lies told, virtue lost and love found.

Plot:

Heath Ledger plays the fabled romantic as a man who, after failing to win the affection of a particular Venetian woman, strives to discover the real meaning of love.

Plot Keywords:

Obese | Pig | Nun's Habit | Arrest | Hot Air Balloon

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Heath Ledger	...	Casanova
Sienna Miller	...	Francesca Bruni
Jeremy Irons	...	Pucci
Oliver Platt	...	Paprizzio
Lena Olin	...	Andrea
Omid Djalili	...	Lupo
Stephen Greif	...	Donato
Ken Stott	...	Dalfonso
Helen McCrory	...	Casanova's Mother
Leigh Lawson	...	Mother's Lover / Tito
Tim McInnerny	...	The Doge
Charlie Cox	...	Giovanni Bruni
Natalie Dormer	...	Victoria
Philip Davis	...	Guardi (as Phil Davis)
Paddy Ward	...	Vittorio

Also Known As:

Femur (Philippines: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexual content.

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Germany:6 | USA:R (certificate #41930) | Hungary:14 | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Norway:7 | Iceland:L | Singapore:PG (re-rating) | Spain:13 | UK:12A | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG (edited version) | Singapore:M18 | Philippines:R-13 | Ireland:12A | Sweden:7 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Finland:K-11 | Argentina:13 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | South Korea:15 | Malaysia:U | Netherlands:MG6 | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Peru:14 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Venice, Veneto, Italy

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

During the short sword fight at the end of the film when they are running away Oliver Platt takes off his cape and fights with it just as Oliver Reed did as Athos in The Three Musketeers (1973). Oliver Platt played Porthos in the 1993 version of The Three Musketeers (1993).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: For a split second when Casanova jumps from one building to another you can see the harness.

Quotes:

Casanova: I've got to stay here. If I go with you they'll be looking for both of us. It's too dangerous!
Giovanni Bruni: What if you never left?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The O'Reilly Factor: (2008-01-24)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Bella Gioiosa

More farce than history

If you approach this film looking for history or biography, you will be disappointed. This film is a superbly written farce, enacted by a talented cast of comic actors. The interesting set-up of false identities is further complicated by the addition of two scene-stealers, Oliver Platt and Jeremy Irons. One of the most entertaining scenes in the film is a comic bit involving Oliver Platt as he proudly displays his portrait. Oliver Platt is able to elicit a huge laugh without saying a word and using any broad gesture--just a kind of comic deflation.

And Jeremy Irons as the Grand Inquisitor was equally delightful, as he investigates heresy with the determination and insight of an Inspector Clouseau.

The action (and comedy) moves briskly, and appropriately for a farce, there is a come-from-nowhere ending that is as unbelievable as it is hilarious. But the ending does not disappoint, at all.

This film contains no apparent "theme" or "message", for which we can all be thankful. I thoroughly enjoyed it.