Movie Review: Casanova
I just got back from seeing Casanova with J. First, let me say that Heath Ledger has never done finer work. The subtle nuances in the character of Giacomo Casanova was a worthy challenge and Ledger, true to his powerful performances in A Knight's Tale and 10 Things I Hate About You, brought it off admirably.
Heath Ledger could not have done it alone however. He was supported by a fine cast of legendary actors including Oliver Platt, Jeremy Irons, and above all, Sienna Miller. Oliver Platt, as the corpulent Paprizzio, acted with a fire not seen since Disney's The Three Musketeers in 1993. Irons, as the dreaded Inquisitor, positively glowed with energy as he strode menacingly from scene to scene. Sadly, Irons's career has also had only brief glimmers of brilliance; he hadn't made a decent movie in the five long years since Dungeons and Dragons and, five years before that, Die Hard 3. In my opinion, Irons and Platt should each receive twelve Oscars for Best Supporting Actor. They were both the best, twelve times over. Sienna Miller proved that she was more than just Jude Law's ex-fiancée. In fact, she is the greatest actress to ever have graced screen or stage. She makes Katherine Hepburn and Meryl Streep seem like amateurs. She should permanently (and retroactively) receive the Best Actress Oscar. Forever.
As for the script, I could say that its composition was an act of divine inspiration and not do it justice. Each and every line of dialogue represented a new high in Hollywood screenwriting. Charlie Kaufman, David Mamet, and Orson Wells are certainly passable as writers, but they ought to take lessons from Jeffrey Hatcher and Kimberly Simi. Hatcher's and Simi's work is unparalleled in the cinema. Their clever barbs and innuendo left me gasping for breath and gaping at their audacity as they criticized everything from the Catholic Church's attitudes toward science and women to Venetian excess. This film was satiric gold, but also a profound social criticism. These two writers had the brilliant idea to compare men to...wait for it... PIGS! I was utterly amazed at their insight--I've done a lot of reading and I've seen a lot of movies, but I don't think that comparison has ever been made before. What complex genius! Hatcher and Simi possess all of the skill and subtlety of Voltaire, Swift, Mencken, and Carrot Top. They are truly tops in their craft.
Speaking of craft, let us not forget the costumer and the set designer. Unless a complete failure or complete success, the costumer usually avoids notice. Tony-nominated Jenny Beavan definitely falls under the latter category. This may have been a period film, but only a truly talented artist could pack so much cleavage into 108 minutes without ever actually showing a bare breast. Except for Oliver Platt's.
The sets were spot on. They looked not unlike an outdoor Olive Garden and when I think Olive Garden, I definitely think Italy, so Bravo! to Anna Pinnock.
Bravo, indeed! Casanova is a true tour de force!
Actually, the movie sucked. Even the cleavage couldn't save it.
And the score was the worst I have ever heard. I'm not going to look up the composer (Alexandre Desplat), but it would have been better composed by The Black-Eyed Peas. Actually, "Let's Get Retarded In Here" would have aptly captured the film.
OH!
And Sienna Miller is NOT more than Jude Law's ex-fiancée.
Heath Ledger could not have done it alone however. He was supported by a fine cast of legendary actors including Oliver Platt, Jeremy Irons, and above all, Sienna Miller. Oliver Platt, as the corpulent Paprizzio, acted with a fire not seen since Disney's The Three Musketeers in 1993. Irons, as the dreaded Inquisitor, positively glowed with energy as he strode menacingly from scene to scene. Sadly, Irons's career has also had only brief glimmers of brilliance; he hadn't made a decent movie in the five long years since Dungeons and Dragons and, five years before that, Die Hard 3. In my opinion, Irons and Platt should each receive twelve Oscars for Best Supporting Actor. They were both the best, twelve times over. Sienna Miller proved that she was more than just Jude Law's ex-fiancée. In fact, she is the greatest actress to ever have graced screen or stage. She makes Katherine Hepburn and Meryl Streep seem like amateurs. She should permanently (and retroactively) receive the Best Actress Oscar. Forever.
As for the script, I could say that its composition was an act of divine inspiration and not do it justice. Each and every line of dialogue represented a new high in Hollywood screenwriting. Charlie Kaufman, David Mamet, and Orson Wells are certainly passable as writers, but they ought to take lessons from Jeffrey Hatcher and Kimberly Simi. Hatcher's and Simi's work is unparalleled in the cinema. Their clever barbs and innuendo left me gasping for breath and gaping at their audacity as they criticized everything from the Catholic Church's attitudes toward science and women to Venetian excess. This film was satiric gold, but also a profound social criticism. These two writers had the brilliant idea to compare men to...wait for it... PIGS! I was utterly amazed at their insight--I've done a lot of reading and I've seen a lot of movies, but I don't think that comparison has ever been made before. What complex genius! Hatcher and Simi possess all of the skill and subtlety of Voltaire, Swift, Mencken, and Carrot Top. They are truly tops in their craft.
Speaking of craft, let us not forget the costumer and the set designer. Unless a complete failure or complete success, the costumer usually avoids notice. Tony-nominated Jenny Beavan definitely falls under the latter category. This may have been a period film, but only a truly talented artist could pack so much cleavage into 108 minutes without ever actually showing a bare breast. Except for Oliver Platt's.
The sets were spot on. They looked not unlike an outdoor Olive Garden and when I think Olive Garden, I definitely think Italy, so Bravo! to Anna Pinnock.
Bravo, indeed! Casanova is a true tour de force!
Actually, the movie sucked. Even the cleavage couldn't save it.
And the score was the worst I have ever heard. I'm not going to look up the composer (Alexandre Desplat), but it would have been better composed by The Black-Eyed Peas. Actually, "Let's Get Retarded In Here" would have aptly captured the film.
OH!
And Sienna Miller is NOT more than Jude Law's ex-fiancée.
posted by jw at
3:58 PM
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