The Casanova reviews are starting to roll in, and not surprisingly, the Heath Ledger film about the great lover is getting pretty negative reviews.
When I first heard about the Casanova project, and the fact that Heath Ledger was taking the lead role, I was really interested in it…. and then I saw the trailer a couple of months ago… and all my anticipation went right down the toilet. What SOUNDED like it could be a great look at the myth of the great lover suddenly spun out of control into a cheap ass slapstick romantic comedy. Shame.
So now the critics are starting to ring in with their Casanova reviews. Here’s what some of them are saying:
“It’s worth noting that producing a farce in a way that’s funny is a lost art, and director Lasse Hallström hasn’t found it.”
James Berardinelli, REELVIEWS“I admit that the picture is handsomely designed in gold and pale blue, but none of the tumult and pomp have any dramatic, comic, or erotic effect whatsoever.”
David Denby, NEW YORKER“Might have been called American Pie 4: Vacation in Venice.”
Jamie Gillies, APOLLO GUIDE“Ledger is no Casanova, and the movie is not what it should be, but once that is accepted, the movie can be appreciated for the jolly, lightweight thing it is.”
Mick LaSalle, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
I’ll be catching this one myself this weekend, but I certainly don’t have high hopes. As of this writing, Casanova is carrying a 39% on Rotten Tomatoes. The two shouldn’t have ANYTHING to do with each other… but I suspect this film may hurt Heath Ledger’s Oscar chances for Brokeback Mountain.
