As the world famous lover Casanova, Heath Ledger can have any woman he wants. Except for Sienna Miller, a feminist who wants a man to appreciate her mind and be sincere. Heath has gotten into one too many scrapes with the law, violating the church's sanctity by sleeping with married women and postulates, and he's in desperate need of a changed image. He gets engaged to the sheltered, innocent Natalie Dormer. He doesn't love her, and when he quickly falls for Sienna, he lies about his identity so she won't hate him. Sienna is, in turn, has a secret identity, too. She writes a series of feminist pamphlets in a man's name.
With all these mistaken identities and clever lies, it's bound to get complicated. My favorite part is the side plot with Oliver Platt. Sienna's mother, Lena Olin, has arranged a marriage between them, although they've never met. When he arrives in Venice, Heath is there at the dock to greet him - with a smile, quick lies, and a plan to benefit himself. Funny and quick, this tongue-in-cheek comedy will keep you guessing from start to finish. I don't know why Casanova and Don Juan movies are always light, but they are. This doesn't really take the lack of promiscuity of the time period seriously, but it's entertaining. And it's a great follow-up from Heath Ledger's A Knight's Tale two years earlier.
This Lasse Hallstrom film has beautiful attention to detail with the sets and costumes. Every scene takes you to the lovely setting of 1700s Venice (although it was filmed in a different city). The lighting, the canals, and the ancient-looking buildings, are all gorgeous - not to mention the beautiful period costumes made with rich fabrics.
With all these mistaken identities and clever lies, it's bound to get complicated. My favorite part is the side plot with Oliver Platt. Sienna's mother, Lena Olin, has arranged a marriage between them, although they've never met. When he arrives in Venice, Heath is there at the dock to greet him - with a smile, quick lies, and a plan to benefit himself. Funny and quick, this tongue-in-cheek comedy will keep you guessing from start to finish. I don't know why Casanova and Don Juan movies are always light, but they are. This doesn't really take the lack of promiscuity of the time period seriously, but it's entertaining. And it's a great follow-up from Heath Ledger's A Knight's Tale two years earlier.
This Lasse Hallstrom film has beautiful attention to detail with the sets and costumes. Every scene takes you to the lovely setting of 1700s Venice (although it was filmed in a different city). The lighting, the canals, and the ancient-looking buildings, are all gorgeous - not to mention the beautiful period costumes made with rich fabrics.