The past year has been surprisingly demanding for everyone's fave 18th-century lover-man, Giacomo Casanova, with both an acclaimed BBC drama and Lasse Hallström's underperforming comedy romp to his name. Here, the veteran Swede turns his attention to a sticky incident in the master fornicator's life, as Casanova (Heath Ledger) searches for a wife to fend off the threat of expulsion from Venice. As the demands of plot dictate, he falls for the one woman in the whole city immune to his smarmy charms: philosophising proto-feminist Francesca Bruni (Sienna Miller).
The result is a curious, if quite enjoyable blend of Benny Hill-esque farce and period drama, full to the brim with sexual innuendo, lavish sets and good, honest bodice-ripping. Completing the lukewarm package is a commentary from Hallström, who is charming if over-earnest, and a number of inessential Making Ofs illustrating the perils of filming in such a watery place as Venice.
DVD Extras: Audio Commentary, Extended Sequence, Creating An Adventure - Behind The Scenes (includes interviews), Dressing In Style, Visions Of Venice.
