Murtaza Ali This is a lovely little feel-good film featuring a bunch of memorable performances from Heath Ledger, Sienna Miller (and a particularly brilliant one from Jeremy Irons), among others. The films offers a rather playful take on the life of the notorious womanizer Giacomo Casanova and tells us about his one true love, a strong-headed Venetian lady with feministic views, and the pains that the 18th century libertine takes to possess her, as a ruthless inquisitor, appointed by the pope, tries to execute him on the charges of heresy. A guilty pleasure of sorts with little historical significance, Casanova is nonetheless a must watch for the late Heath Ledger fans!For more on the world of cinema, please visit my film blog "A Potpourri of Vestiges".

bkoganbing Immediately after getting an Oscar nomination for playing a repressed gay man in Brokeback Mountain, Heath Ledger went 180 degrees the opposite direction in being cast as Giacomo Casanova who along with Don Juan remains the last word in rampant heterosexism.Only this time Casanova may have fallen big time for Sienna Miller who in her way is the 18th century version of a liberated woman, even having the temerity to attend the University of Venice in male garb.But when you're Casanova by now you have an image to protect and a reputation to live up to. The tales of seductions and conquests have been providing a lot of gossip fodder for the nobility, even the Doge of Venice is a fan of sorts.But the current Pope isn't and he's sent one of his best Inquisitors in the person of Bishop Jeremy Irons to once and for all stamp out the heresy he's spreading. Loose behavior is fine for the Renaissance, but now that we've got Protestants to contend with of all kinds, we'd better keep our own image intact, an image that Casanova is wrecking daily.It's too bad that classically romantic players like Errol Flynn or Tyrone Power, Douglas Fairbanks,Jr., or Louis Hayward when we had them in abundance never took on Casanova as a role. Heath Ledger is a good substitute, but I would love to have heard that dialog coming from one of them. Oliver Platt has some nice moments as the lard merchant who wants very much to get a little Casanova like action that his portly frame will allow. Casanova is a film that's good, but kind of out of its time.

Jackson Booth-Millard From director Lasse Hallström (What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Cider House Rules, Dear John), I had only heard about the 18th Century guy known for his numerous relations, so I had to see a film about it. Basically Giacomo Casanova (Heath Ledger) is in love with Francesca Bruni (Sienna Miller), but she thinks of him as a friend and he is engaged to Victoria (Natalie Dormer), and she is in love with Francesca's brother Giovanni (Stardust's Charlie Cox). Francesca meanwhile is meant to be marrying Paprizzio (Oliver Platt) who thinks Casanova is the feminist writer known as Guardi, but that is actually the pseudonym author name for her. There is a court case by the Catholic Church in amongst all these secret passions, identity problems and misunderstandings with Bishop Pucci (Jeremy Irons) leading it. Also starring Lena Olin as Andrea Bruni, Omid Djalili as Lupo, Stephen Grief as Donato, Ken Stott as Dalfonso, Tim McInnerny as The Doge, Philip Davis as Guardi and Helen McCrory as Casanova's Mother. Ledger was relatively good, and it was alright spotting the various faces along the way, and there was a fair amount of material seeing the famous character womanising, there could have been a bit more though, and the story is rather dull, so much so I didn't really get it all, a boring and not very funny period comedy. Adequate!

Aniviel2 A friend lent me this film, and after a hard day, I decided to watch it, and boy, what a perfect antidote it was! It is a farce in the true British, and dare I say, Shakespearian, tradition, and contained great performances all around, especially from Heath Ledger, Oliver Platt, and Omid Djalili, but that is to take nothing away from the other actors, who all played their parts wonderfully well - I did not even mind Sienna Miller, so I must have enjoyed it! Okay, so it would never win awards, if you are looking for a light, easy going film, that does not tax the brain too much, then this could be the one for you! One thing I cannot understand, is the US rating for the film. It is in no way offensive, and I would not hesitate in letting a child of say 9 or 10 watch it.