| | | "Blu-Ray Disc, Beyond High Definition."
When Giacomo Casanova discovered Francesca Bruni, he met his ultimate romantic match, succumbing to the only woman ever to refuse his charms, until he could prove himself to be the one man worthy of her romantic ideals.Not only a dashing rebel and wit, Casanova is also a vulnerable man who is chasing after love as Bishop Pucci of the Inquisition chases after him.Caught up in a comic whirl of disguises, duels, deceit and love-struck desire, Casanova begins to see the vital difference between the allure of conquest and the power of true love.System Requirements:Run Time: 111 MinutesFormat: BLU-RAY DISC
"A handsome chunk of widescreen entertainment..." Derek Elley, Variety
"A lovely, mischievous Casanova that will sweep you off your feet." Michael Sragow, Baltimore Sun
"...a supremely good-humored film." Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
"...sly and delightful..." The New York Times
Editor's Note
CASONOVA is loosely based on the memoirs of the writer, adventurer, and infamous lover Giacomo Casanova--themselves notably unreliable--and fortunately has no pretensions to historical realism. Instead, it's a witty, lighthearted romantic comedy, which uses its 18th century setting and renowned hero as a jumping-off point for sexy banter and ruminations on love, lust, and freedom. Directed with visual flair and wit by Lasse Hallström--a master of classy period pieces like CHOCOLAT and CIDER HOUSE RULES--the movie was filmed on location in Venice, and the stunningly gorgeous scenery is almost a character in its own right. Heath Ledger, believable and engaging here in a role that couldn't be more different from his powerhouse performance in BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, turns on all of his considerable charms here. Abandoned by his mother as a child, Casanova has grown into a lascivious yet oddly innocent young man, who pursues pleasure wholeheartedly and mistakes lust for love. His biggest concern is eluding Italy's puritanical Inquisitors, until he meets Francesca Bruni (Sienna Miller), a beauty who publishes clever pamphlets on women's rights under a pen name. In the time-honored tradition, Casanova is instantly smitten with the one woman in Venice who doesn't want anything to do with him. The plot provides few surprises, but that is beside the point; the pleasures of CASANOVA are in its warm freewheeling tone, its sumptuous visuals, and the cheerful exuberance of its actors. In addition to Ledger's winning star turn, Lena Olin is her usual mesmerizing self as Francesca's scheming mother, and the reliably excellent Oliver Platt (as Francesca's overmatched fiancé) and Jeremy Irons (as the frustrated head Inquisitor) both deliver deft comic performances.
| Features | Audio Commentary By Director Lasse Hallstrom | | Audio: English, Spanish, French DTS 5.1 Surround Sound | | Featurettes: Creating An Adventure - The Making Of Casanova, Dressing In Style & Visions Of Venice - The Making Of The Movie In Present-Day Venice | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | This Is A Blu-Ray DVD Made For Blue-Laser Format Players Which Produce Higher Quality Picture And Sound |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Buena Vista |
| Release Date: 1/23/2007 |
| Running Time: 111 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2005 | | Catalog ID: 5346303 | | UPC: 00786936724912 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English, French Dubbed, Spanish Dubbed | | Available Subtitles: English, French, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Widescreen 2.35:1 |
| Cast & Crew
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| | Professional Reviews | USA Today
"Ledger swaggers, seduces and smoothly bandies witticisms with as much confidence and verve as the veteran actors --Jeremy Irons, Lena Olin, Oliver Platt -- who make up the rest of the talented cast." 12/23/2005 p.9ELos Angeles Times
"In the exhilarating CASANOVA, giddy shenanigans effectively set off the dangerous, darker impulses of human nature." 12/23/2005 p.E6 New York Times
"[A] high-spirited farce...Silly, sly and delightful." 01/06/2006 p.E26 Entertainment Weekly
"Ms. Miller has a modern, smart-girl look about her..." -- Grade: B 01/13/2006 p.55 Widescreen Review
"[The] picture exhibits a nice color palette that complements the mid-1700s setting of the story." 05/01/2006 p.63 Total Film
3 stars out of 5 -- "[A] 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." 07/01/2006 p.103 Variety.com 7 of 10
Dialogue is only occasionally laugh-out-loud funny but generally well-turned. Though they're spirited enough and bring an acceptable soupcon of modernity to their roles, Ledger and Miller don't have quite what it takes to carry the picture on their own. But with an ensemble of this quality, including character actors like Platt, Djalili and McInnerny, plus Irons having a ball as the pompous Pucci, they fit just fine. - Derek Elley
ReelViews 7 of 10
Casanova is occasionally amusing, but never uproarious, and the romantic elements are tepid at best. The film relies on multiple layers of mistaken identity - a plot device that wears out its welcome long before the movie has moved into its stretch run. - James Berardinelli
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