Casanova [2005] [DVD]

I enviously watched the trailers for Casanova when I didn't have access to BBC3 - I thought it looked like an exciting, colourful romp. I waited everso patiently until it was repeated on BBC1 and was not disappointed in the least.Peter O'Toole is brilliantly cast as the older Casanova, remembering his past and all the women he had ever loved. His portrayal was poignant and sometimes a little scary, but as his quest for Henriette comes to a close you really do feel sorry for the man with so much potential having become a fairly lowly Librarian and object of ridicule.Laura Fraser is stunning as Henriette - the kind of enigmatic and beautiful woman we all strive unsuccessfully to be! Rose Byrne is the picture of innocence and amused shock at the older man's tales. Both women play their parts beautifully.Russell T Davies' writing was already known to me to be something special, my particular favourite being 'Queer As Folk'. Again, he manages to give us a lively tale with great one-liners, action, punches and sex - lots of it. The way he explores Jack's fears over falling in love with Bellino is brilliantly done and he doesn't shy away from controversial topics (In fact, such topics are becoming more mainstream and less hidden thanks mainly to people like him).And finally ... how could I review this without mentioning David Tennant? I can't. That man is such a talented actor, he makes every part his. He is quirky, cheeky and devillishly charming. A previous review said that RTD wanted to steer away from someone conventionally handsome for the part - maybe David Tennant isn't conventionally handsome, but I certainly wouldn't kick him out of bed!This is a must for any fan of Russell T Davies or David Tennant; they are a winning combination as Doctor Who's tenth incarnation only proves.

This represents a wonderful piece of work by David Tennant from shortly before he started in his timelord role as Doctor Who. And this work is made even better by also featuring the great Peter O'Toole. Unfortunately, for reasons that will be obvious when you watch it, we don't get to see the two of them playing on-screen together - a pity, given the dynamism that would most likely have produced. There's also what I consider to be a nice cameo part, played by some guy called Matt Lucas. Oh, and Rupert Penry-Jones, also known for his role in "Spooks" plays the "bad guy" role very well too. But I shouldn't single out any of the actors really, because everyone in the film gives a great performance.The Casanova story is beautifully written in a very tongue-in-cheek style, with plenty of modern references, by Russell T Davies (who, of course, was also later responsible for the brilliantly successful resurrection of The Doctor). It's a long film, at three hours, though when it was originally shown on TV, it was as a short series of one-hour episodes. But many will enjoy watching the film all in one sitting, because it never flags or fails to hold your interest. Naturally, there are some sex scenes, but there's nothing that should cause any offence to anyone with an open mind and a sense of humour! All-in-all, I'd say that this film belongs firmly in my all-time top twenty 'greats' and will, I'm sure, be regarded as a 'classic' in the fullness of time. The acting, scriptwriting and production are all superb, but most of all, if you watch it, you'll be entertained wonderfully - and that's what it's all about, isn't it?

If you know the recollections of Casanova - 11 volumes of them - then you will know that this series has NOTHING to do with the books; however it is fun. I think it is not one of Russell Davies' best scripts, and could probably have been done in an hour, rather than three long episodes. It is a familiar story - the old roue who dreams of his past and regrets his present. David Tennant gives his usual energetic performance and the whole thing glisters with its modernity. - Some weird costume choices [barely based on the period.] and design failings but worth a look. And the location site filming is a treat!I was a bit puzzled by the son and by the servant who are with him throughout. I don't recall that he travelled accompanied by anyone.Personally I much prefer the much earlier version by Dennis Potter with the sexy and lately deceased Frank Finlay as the hero! This too filmed on location, but much more probing about a man like no other who travelled and lied and pretended and wrote, spoke many languages and loved.

Finally! A period drama that isn't swamped with earnest-looking actors in ruffs or boring to anyone who doesn't know the original text off by heart. Casanova shines with colour and comedy, while the drama left me counting down the days until the next weekly installment.An aging Casanova, meticulously portrayed by Peter O'Toole, tells a young serving girl about his bawdy exploits from his youth. All this seems a bit superfluous, though, to the mighty David Tennant and the dashing, handsome Casanova who took the 17th Century by storm. Tennant steals the whole mini-series; being completely gorgeous didn't hurt, either. The story itself is quite sad, as Casanova never did get the girl, but any melancholy is soon drowned in the costumes and liveliness of the script.The only (pathetically minor) quibble about it is that they kept the ad breaks in, repeating bits of the episode you've just seen before starting on the next one, which is a bit annoying when you continue from half-way through an episode and know what's just happened. Quibbling aside, this is a fantastic program and definately worth buying - just don't take it as historic fact.