La vénitienne

This is a classy-looking movie set in late Renaissance-era Venice where a young man (Jason Connery, son of Sean) carries on a sexual affair with an older Italian noblewoman(Laura Antonelli). There's also a kind of "upstairs-downstairs" thing going on as the young man's servant also gets together with the noblewoman's voluptuous lady-in-waiting (Monica Guerritori), except that it's literally kind of reversed. At one point the servants are "upstairs" having sex in the attic and stop for a moment to spy on their master and mistress who are also having sex "downstairs" on the floor below. And, of course,there is also a near lesbian scene between Antonelli and Guerritori. Actually, despite the historical setting and the arty trappings, I can't help but suspect that this is really just meant to be another Italian "sexy film" to show off the young,nubile body of Guerritori and the mature but still gorgeous body of Laura Antonelli (with Jason Connery, of course, for the ladies). There's nothing wrong with that though I guess.

Strangely, French actress Annie Belle also has a small role here, and even more strangely keeps her clothes on. (Whereas Antonelli and Guerritori were fairly talented actresses who only appeared butt- naked in the classiest Italian art films, Belle was not really actress, but did pretty the same thing in some of the sleaziest Italian exploitation films ever made like "House by the Edge of the Park"). The period setting is pretty convincing and the Venetian scenery is truly beautiful (The good thing about seeing Venice on film is you don't have to SMELL Venice, which isn't such a pleasurable experience). The music is also above par.

This isn't an incredibly compelling movie dramatically (it's perhaps a bit too much of an self-indulgent European sex romp), but it's certainly nice to look at.

Venetian Love Fires - Sensual erotic film with Laura Antonelli and Jason Connery

This little film from 1986, which is repeated every year under the title "The Venetian Woman" on the German regional television station MDR (in the wonderful GDR dubbing), is a real treat, a Venetian bedtime treat, so to speak. Attractive and well-disposed actors act against the enchanting backdrop of Venice and bring erotic stories from the Renaissance period to life. This fun was directed by Mauro Bolognini (1922-2001), who also made "A Beautiful November" (1969) with Gina Lollobrigida. The wonderful music comes from the recently deceased ACADEMY AWARD winner Ennio Morricone.

A strapping blonde from the north (Jason Connery) has arrived in Venice while passing through. The city has just survived the plague and is as sensual as ever. The attractive young man who roams the streets of Venice in search of a love adventure is also infected by this. He doesn't have to wait long either, because his blonde hair is also well received by the Venetian women. For example, the newlywed Valeria (Monica Guerritore) became aware of the gorgeous guy. And since her husband is conveniently traveling at the moment, she commissions her scatterbrained maid Oria (Cristina Noci) to arrange a shepherd's hour for the coming night. At the same time, the beautiful widow Angela (Laura Antonelli) is also interested in the carefree young man. Since she has to be careful about her good reputation, the good Angela has only been able to enjoy brief moments of happiness in the arms of her busty servant Nena (Clelia Rondinelli). A love-hungry daredevil passing through would be just right for her. When the blonde Northman misses his rendezvous with Valeria in the evening for various reasons, the busy Bernardo (Claudio Amendola) manages to redirect the sought-after traveler into the bed of the starving widow. But this wonderful Venetian night is far from over for the persevering youngster...

With a lot of charm, humor and erotic sophistication, a beautiful story is told here, which goes back to a Venetian play from the 16th century. The production is very sensual, tasteful and not at all pornographic. All the actors and actresses are very convincing. The two main actors deserve special mention. Laura Antonelli (1941-2015) was the female star of many Italian sex comedies (commedia sexy all'italiana) and impresses here as a love-hungry widow who, despite all her sensuality, never loses her dignity. Jason Connery, born in 1963, son of ACADEMY AWARD nominee Diane Cilento and the recently deceased ACADEMY AWARD winner Sean Connery, began his film career here, which he continued in several other Italian films and as "Robin Hood" in a very popular British series at the time continued.

Anyone who appreciates something spicy should definitely see this film.

My review was written in May 1986 after a Cannes Film Festival Market screening.

In "La Venexiana", director Mauro Bolognini rides the crest of the wave of Italian audiences' fondness for older woman-accented erotic cinema, while adding an element of class to the commercial equation. Result is a disarmingly simple, technically proficient period romance, which has a strong home market future on the basis of casting two top actresses in the genre.

Based on an anonymously penned 16th Century play (recently revived on stage internationally), feature is set in Venice at a time following the devastation of the Black Plague. Laura Antonelli toplines as Angela, a widow with unfulfilled sexual yearnings who spots a handsome, blond foreigner (Jason Connery) from her window one day and immediately is infatuated with him. The foreigner, in turn, catches sight of Angela's married neighbor Valeria (Monica Guerritore), and is just as smitten with her.

With each of the ladies' maids Nena and Oria acting as a go-between, there ensues a sexual round-robin in which the foreigner ends up satisfying (separately) both ladies' appetites before exiting just in time as Valeria's husband returns home. During the well-timed shenanigans, Angela's maid Nena also gets to do some comforting of her mistress as well as dally with Bernardo, a bearded young man who earlier had used some fast talking to divert the foreigner from a rendezvous with Valeria in order to visit Angela first.

Erotic content of "La Venexiana" is high, while Bologninii opts for lush settings and tasteful photography which avoid pornographic detail. Beppe Lanci's warm visuals and Aldo Buti's period costumes conform to Bologninin'susual high standard of technical quality. Ennio Morricone's music has fun with the kitschy material, segueing smoothly from liturgical music to highly romantic scoring and even throwing in some trademark breathy vocalese.

Laura Antonelli is a delight, playing her scenes of romantic longing straight (leaving the intrinsic humor underplayed) and throwing herself into sex scenes with her usual fervor. Pic might garner he the first U. S. theatrical pickup in several years for Italy's top cinematic export of the 1970s.

Monica Guerritore is overshadowed by Antonelli, but still is effective in a smaller role. Jason Connery projects the kind of raw masculinity of his dad Sean and his acting fits smoothly into the Italian ensemble (with convincing dubbing in Italian by Tonino Accolia). Supporting cast works hard, with a priceless scene in which the maid hands Connery his belongings as he rushes out of Guerritore's apartment (just as the husband approaches) in the manner of passing a baton in a relay race.

The director Mauro Bolognini has some experience of historical movies and you can see this in this late-Renaissance movie set at the canals of Venice and he has also experience with love-stories. This movie written with the help of Massimo Franciosa lacks the grandeur of a Luchino Visconti but at no moment one gets the impression of being bored. Laura Antonelli is very good as Angela and she looks like an angel just as in the other movie L'Innocent (1976) but why is she closing the windows of her apartment when her lover (Jason Connery - he has no name in the movie!) is throwing stones into her room? The mores of the time when the doge is allowing the prostitutes to show their breasts, and the young noblemen throwing fish at them, are explored and the question remains what the life of an older (but still young), rich widow must heave been in Venice at the end of the 15th century. It is not surprising that such a woman is glowed with fire when she can see from her room a young man p***ing in the canal. The sex-scenes in the movie are good and made with taste; there is even a scene where Angela is near of having a sexual affair with her servant who tries to console her mistress. This story of a one night, two lovers affair remembers me of the Decamerone because of its freshness and sweetness.

Venice, 16th century: The young, handsome Jules arrives in the city. Staying for one night only before journeying on, he is looking for an erotic adventure. There is the attractive girl Valeria, whose husband is out of town. Jules is deeply stunned by her and a „date" is arranged at midnight. But someone else has laid eyes on him – the lonely widow Angela, said to be the most beautiful woman of Venice. Tough choice for Jules...

The screenplay is adapted from a 16th century theater play by an anonymous writer, and that play is clearly in the same vein as Boccaccio's 14th century story collection „Decameron", one of the most important and popular pieces of Italian Renaissance literature. So „La Venexiana" offers a briskly told story with subtle comedy, underlying social criticism and lots of erotic situations. Basically the plot is rather thin and would have served better in a short story collection like Pasolino's 1971 „Il Decameron". Therefore the screenplay extends the sex scenes, thus clearly setting the movie in the sexy comedy genre (I watched the 83 minutes version of the Italian DVD).

The movie is beautifully shot, taking advantage of the unique Venetian atmosphere around the Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, an area which is even today quite unspoiled by tourism. The wonderful costumes, interiors and the Morricone score really take you back in time.

As mentioned, neither the plot nor the characters are very complex, but to make the best of it, the movie is told straightforward and manages to avoid any boredom. Jason Connery is quite alright as protagonist and womanizer, in fact it's not really up to him to carry the storyline. Most of the comedic elements are provided by the respective servants of Angela and Valeria, whereas the erotica is the job for the leading actresses Laura Antonelli and Monica Guerritore. The nudity factor is very high throughout, and it is all shot very elegantly and tastefully. Jules' romance with Valeria (Monica Guerritore), tagged as a „true love", is the rather playful one-night-stand, while Angela is the melancholic, sad counterpart. Back then, in Venetian society, a widow couldn't have any new sexual relationships and is supposed to mourn forever, notwithstanding her passion and desire. A role taylor-made for Laura, and even though she had battled her status as a sex symbol for a long time, she is pure dynamite. Little wonder her encounter with Jules is shown for very, very long...

Overall, „La Venexiana" is a diverting erotic comedy with tragic undertones, quite true to the classic play, adequately played and with great visuals, especially in the main discipline, the sex scenes. All those qualities can easily cover for the slight lack of substance in the story.