Casanova - BBC Reviews

Loved it!

This DVD was GREAT!

The acting was spot on (Much better than the recent film).

David Tennant was totally convincing as "Casanova", even though he's not that good looking he is totally beliveable as "The Worlds Greatest lover".

With his Wit, charm and comedy skills alone. I don't know who did the casting but they deserve an award! Peter O' Toole is superb as the aged Casanova, and the way he can manupulate the viewers emotions from sympathy one minute to laughing out loud with him to wanting to punch his lights out!

The best thing about this programme is the way that the actors and the writer (Russel T. Davies of "Doctor Who" fame) can have you laughing your socks off one minute and crying into your pillow the next.

When you first start to watch this programme you think that this is going to be just another one of those comedies that you can semi-watch whilst doing the ironing, but as the programme progresess you can't help but be pulled into this colourful, playful and sometimes ruthless world of "Casanova".

In short....WATCH IT!

Fantastic

Watched this on BBC and was blown away.

From the fabulous writer Russell T Davis (also wrote the new Dr Who, Queer as Folk, Bob and Rose, to name but a few).

Starring Peter O'Toole and the elderly Casanova re-telling his lurid and exciting life to a servant girl. The youthful Casanova is very cheekily and perfectly played by David Tennant.

This is a bodice-bursting story of Casanova's escapades across Europe, with a very modern twist, and would appeal to both male and female viewers.

I loved this so much that I have pre-ordered this DVD to watch all over again and can't wait! David Tennant is to be the new Dr Who and when you have watched this film you'll understand why!

[Highly rated reviewer]

Excellent, although the first of the three episodes is the best

This is an outstanding comedy with David Tennant playing Giacomo Casanova, the legendary lover; Peter O'Toole playing him as an old man telling the young scullery maid about his past (the whole story is a succession of flashbacks as Casanova tells of his (mis)adventures. Shaun Parkes (from 'Human Traffic') is outstanding as the sidekick Rocco, playing a Sancho Panza character to Casanova's Quijote. The first episode is hilarious, very clever and well written. The second episode is a bit on the slow side, but it picks up again in the third and final episode. It is relatively faithful to the true story - assuming of course his 'Histoire de Ma Vie' is all true which we see him writing whilst as an elderly librarian to the Count of Waldstein - and a reworking of the Casanova story was long overdue (Donald Sutherland in Fellini's film was almost thirty years ago in 1976!).

very entertaning!

I really enjoyed this dvd, it was a lot of fun and really made me chuckle. The acting was great, David Tennant is brillant as always!

Wonderful!

If you didn't get a chance to see this when it was on BBC3 or BBC1 then rent now - wonderfully funny, tongue in cheek and glorious. Ignore the historical imperfections - it doesn't really matter. It's nice to see imaginative casting and the cameo appearances are fun!

Joyous

I don’t usually like productions that deliberately mix period and modern elements as much as this, but in this one it works wonderfully. The sets, locations and costumes are all ravishing. The performances are exuberant and engaging. O’Toole and Tennant are well matched, the suporting cast do just that. Thinly disguised soft porn as a previous reviewer claims? I think if you watch something called Casanova, which is a dramatisation of the life of the world’s most famous lover, set in a famously debauched period, you should expect a bit of rumpy pumpy. For me the only fly in the ointment was the awkward, self conscious, but thankfully fleeting bit of Eurofreak kulturkampf about Europe needing one currency, little enough in a production of this length and scale. All in all, great fun.

subtitles

I didn't watch Casanova, because there were no subtitles as I am deaf.

Should you laugh or cry?

This is a spectacular comedy (or is it drama, or both?) Last shown a while ago on BBC1. The acting is great from everyone (especially rising star Tennant) and is brilliantly written. At the end I cried for days everytime I thought about it, which was extremly embarrasing as it happened in the middle of a board meeting! This is a must see.

Truly wonderful

Funny, sexy, romantic, tender - what more could you ask for a series about the world greatest lover? NOTHING

Excellent

Great costumes, sets and acting. Story is gripping and very raunchy!