So I saw a matinee of Casanova, which keeps coming out of my mouth (and typing) as 'Casablanca' and that has just got to stop.
The Plot: Trite. Contrived, in places. It's every trope you've seen in any Mistaken Identity Madcap Farce Romantic Period Drama. Except for a weird bit at the end used to do some justification which I didn't see coming because damn it was wack and made very little sense.
The Costumes: Very pretty. Lots of brocade. I laughed when I saw that even the balloon our heroes take a romantic fireworks cruise in which luckily doesn't catch fire is made with brocade fabric. The evil bad guy who hates love and eats kittens has an O My God Gorgeous
black and purple outfit that just about killed me. This picture does not do it justice at all.
I want a leather cassock. I want it now.
The Actors: Not bad, really. The Heath is tasty. Tim McInnerny as the Doge caused some brain cramping when I first saw him and said HOLY CRAP LORD PERCY IS THE DOGE OF VENICE. Jeremy Irons is delicious. The dialogue did occasionally make me laugh.
Over all, I enjoyed the show. Glad I only paid for a matinee. I give it two wags.
And the upcoming trailers, by the Very Blood of 'Bob', were uniformly fucking awful. Traumatic level. At least the new Disney 'heroic sled dogs conquer overwhelming odds' movie doesn't involve them talking. I probably would have risen up and killed somebody. Oh, I take it back. Mel Gibson's new 'Apocalypto' had a trailer that was merely enigmatic and epilepsy inducing. Given that the name of the film probably relates to 'Apocalypse' then I expect that some secrets will be revealed between now and summer of 2006. I doubt I will care.