La courtisane

"Dangerous Beauty" is a Biography - Romance movie in which we watch a young woman becoming a courtesan without having other choice in 1583, Venice. From the start she has to fight for everything and later on she is being accused of witchcraft by the church and she has to fight for truth too.

I have to say that I did not know what to expect from this movie but it amazed me. The plot of the movie was very interesting with many good scenes and also the way that the society and also the political scenery were presented made it even more interesting. Regarding the interpretations of the cast, I believe that Catherine McCormack who played as Veronica Franco made one of her best performances if not the best, Jacqueline Bisset who played as Paola Franco was also very good and Rufus Sewell who played as Marco Venier was equally good. Lastly, I have to say that "Dangerous Beauty" is a very good movie and I strongly recommend everyone to watch it because it presents very well many truths of that time.

I saw this when it first came out and I just saw it again on video. Superb movie. I adore Venice and feel I got a real taste of what it must have been like in the 16th century. Great photography and costumes. Beautiful actors. Comedy. Romance. Based on a true story. Shows some of the ugliness of the zealot church of the time. A must see and one of the year's best. Where were the critics on this one? Played to empty theaters mostly. What a shame.

Yes, an entertaining film, yes beautiful on a cinematic aspect, but all in all, a silly period piece, and considering the subject matter, it would have done better if held with more sensitivity than sentimentality.

It's not a smart period piece, let's start with that. The 'jovial' verbal sparring that goes on between Veronica and Platt's character is trite, and with clumsy innuendos. The sexual fascinations the men of Venice have with Veronica comes off as somewhat artificial, and Veronica herself, doesn't seem like such a dangerous beauty. The emphasis for power and intelligence in courtesans is quite clear in the film, but apart from showing her reading a couple of books, this doesn't come across. The exchange between Veronica and King Henry was set up to be challenging, and interesting, and then too easily resolved. The conclusion between Marco and Veronica's characters ripped right out of a Harlequin romance, and not given any sort of punch to make it favorable. I was hoping that Veronica would truly be strong, and assert herself as a powerful woman, but her weaknesses and what she gave into demeans this. And Paola, her mother, was quite shocking and somewhat incredulous. The film tries to explain her motives for pushing Veronica to become a courtesan, but the training session sequence still leaves an uneasy feeling about her.

I sound quite unforgiving towards the film, so here I admit there were some good moments. Veronica explaining the not so glamorous part of a courtesan's life. The court scene (though the conclusion was still a mite too easy) held some power the rest of the film should have. Veronica's interactions with Domenic. And the Minister Rimbarti was a very sympathetic character and he stood out in the scenes he was in.

So all in all, it's okay to watch, but if you're expecting something that actually has meaning look somewhere else.

While there have been several recent films about courageous women of the past whether true or imaginary, Dangerous Beauty, a quality effort with individuality, is a welcome addition to this group.

A story of some historical sweep, wit and romance, we are first drenched in the sunlight and beauty of Venice. As the film builds I was impressed by the talent, charm and strength of the hero, Veronica Franco, poet and courtesan.

Through two amazing events she saves Venice twice first by getting help to defend itself from invasion and later by standing up for its spirit of independence. Intertwined with this is a touching romance made bitter sweet by the pressures of arranged marriages, the terrible limitations upon women and the twisted power of envy.

This film works on many levels, the photography and music are top notch as are the settings and costumes. The acting is fine including the main roles played by Catherine McCormack and Rufus Sewell. (Just don't expect Blanchette and Joseph Fienes.)

If you like historical dramas with romance, intrigue and lovely scenery then I strongly recommend Dangerous Beauty.

In 16th century Venice, a beautiful woman who cannot marry the man she loves for want of station or dowry becomes a successful courtesan and wields her power in favor of goodness against war, plague, and those always pesky inquisitors. A light comedy-drama to be adored by dreamers and condemned by realists, "Dangerous Beauty" is a wholly enjoyable little tale of the downtrodden surmounting the powerful, love conquering all, goodness winning over righteousness, and all those other things people go to movies to enjoy. A fun rainy night video rental for those into period flicks. (B+)