It's ironic that this sporadically lively, frothy period romp about the famous Italian lover is a near-miss for two different but interlocking reasons. Very simply, the title performance absolutely does not work: even giving much allowance for the plot requirement that Casanova has to constantly elude various legal, clerical and other establishment figures without being recognized, Heath Ledger's stiff, humorless performance is absolutely not what the role calls for. In fact, from a technical standpoint his work here is not all that far removed from his stunning work as a taciturn, inarticulate cowpoke attempting to deal with forbidden desires he didn't know he was capable of having in the current Brokeback Mountain, but while that breakthrough performance was Brokeback's emotional anchor, in Casanova's instance it weighs this movie down in far less satisfying ways. That's a real shame, bacause much of what's going on above, below and around Ledger is a real treat; director Lasse Hallstrom (My Life As A Dog) has spent the last several years of his life doing so much well-acted but overrated Oscar bait for the Weinstein brothers as The Cider House Rules, Chocolat and The Shipping News that it's really an enjoyable surprise to see him working with a lighter touch than we've seen since ABBA: The Movie! Jeremy Irons, playing an officious, self-righteous priest on Cas's trail is tremendously enjoyable, playing him as a cross between Snidely Whiplash and Jeffrey Jones' hapless high school vice-principal from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Sienna Miller, as our hero's fiery intellectual as well as romantic/erotic match, is so vibrant and joyously sexual that I found myself asking more than once if Jude Law's got a screw loose or what; Lena Olin matches Miller's appeal and adds an irresistable blend of slyness and subtle vulnerability. And then there's Oliver Platt, who for the second time in as many moviegoing months steals the whole picture. In The Ice Harvest he actually made chronic alcoholism rather endearing, and here he makes overeating absolutely lovable; if you've made certain dietary New Year's resolutions, beware...because watching an Oliver Platt movie will probably be more detrimental to your faithfulness than attending a Super Bowl party!… Expand

Entertaining... Heath Ledger was believable as the suave Cassanova!

Very enjoyable. Don't expect wonders and watch a likable tale.

The same tone as "Shakespeare in Love." If you didn't like that one, you won't like this. Venice has never been better portrayed on film. Heath Ledger is having an amazing year, with this film and "Brokeback Mountain," two characters who could not be further apart.

Just a deligtfully light and entertaining film...

A mess. The filmmakers were clueless as to how to handle the subject matter, which had no business coming off as slow, dull, and plodding as it does. Fimmakers might have intended to have fun with this premise, but they had no idea how to do it. The love story between Ledger and Miller is so clumsily handled, that it just doesn't work.

Not bad at all. It's a fun story, and Sienna Miller is a pleasure to watch. Oliver Platt is hilarious, as well.

This was a silly but entertaining film. Fun characters, good acting, not at all serious but a good way to spend some time at the movies. NIce antidote to the Syrianas, Munichs and Brokebacks, if you're one to spend a lot of time in the dark.

A light romp with some very funny scenery chewing. Funny and beautifully shot. Don't go looking for literature, go for the escapism and to see the beauty of Venice.

Add asinine silliness (of Hilary Duff proportions) to Hallstrom's usual life-is-beautiful banality, and you should have a pretty good picture of how this trashy excuse for a movie goes!

Terrible! Normally heath ledger is good!

Not funny and without romantism, this movie is bad.I give 5/10 because of the beautiful baroque music and the natural sets of Venice. That's all.

Entertaining frothy romp. Good acting by even minor characters.

A Venetian caprice in which Guardi and Caneletto are brought to life in an operatic buffo plot of delightful visual and dramatic allure. One of the delights of the year.

This is an awful, stupid movie. That said, I saw it twice in the theater just for the Oliver Platt/Lena Olin subplot. They are insanely adorable.

This movie plays more like an 80's sitcom than anything worth the big screen treatment, like that Taming of the Shrew episode of Moonlighting. Only not nearly as funny, and painfully obvious in its jokes, plotlines, and poorly-advised attempt to beam Gloria Steinem back to the 18th century as a cross between Marie Curie and Zorro. Casanova? I know Casanova, and you sir, are no Casanova. You are an under-written part for a good actor, badly directed by a man who, 20 years ago, created a true work of art: "My Life As A Dog". PS-You know you're watching a bad comedy when dropping stuff is the best they can do to try and make you laugh. PPS-You know you're watching a really bad comedy when dropping stuff IN SLOW MOTION is the best they can do to try and make you laugh.… Expand

Truly dire. I have no idea if this is a love story, a revisionist take on history or a feeble attempt at parody. Blazing Saddles without the clever angles and wthout the laughs? If you've seen the trailer, you've also seen the only half-good moment in the movie.