Casanova 70

"Casanova '70" is a colourful movie directed by Mario Monicelli, one of the Italian comedy masters. The film follows the sexual adventures of Andrea (Marcello Mastroianni), a handsome "Casanova" who thinks being impotent, in reality he only needs danger for being excited and conquer women...

The film is a product of its time (we clearly see that we're in 1965!), but it's funny and teases the myth of Italian "macho". The merit of the picture is talking about sex without being vulgar. Mastroianni shows a comical approach and is at ease, also the rest of the cast enjoy (we see, among others, gorgeous women like Virna Lisi, Michèle Mercier and Marisa Mell...). In a role -Mell's husband- we find Italian director Marco Ferreri, famous for "outrageous" movies like "La grande bouffe", "Tales of ordinary madness", "Bye bye Monkey" and long time friend of Marcello Mastroianni.

Once more, when we see such films we miss an extremely vivacious Italian cinema which doesn't exist any more.

Marcello Mastroianni was an Italian treasure. Equally adept with comedy as well as drama. This film is a little "Divorce Italian Style" and "What's New Pussycat": at times funny, at times endearing and at all times entertaining. I'm just surprised at the low rating this has gotten. It's a hard film to find, but if you can get your hands on it, it's worth the time to watch it. The score is very listenable and the opening credits are cleaverly done. It's just a good Mastroianni comedy.

Mastrioanni is at his best. He cannot have sex unless there is danger to his life.

Best scene is when a Sicilian family [owners of a restaurant where he is having lunch alone] drags a young girl to her bedroom and locks her up.

Her husband of one hour has exclaimed that he wants nothing to do with her because she in not pure.

Mastroianni explains to the Sicilians that he is a medical doctor and would be very happy to examine her and determine whether or not she is pure.

He goes into her room and closes the door. Two hours later he emerges all sweaty, bug-eyed and shaking.

He exclaims "she is pure." At about this time the real doctor arrives and the chase is on.

This picture is so funny.

It is as if Mastroianni is the whole Marx brothers family rolled up into one person.

I really believe Mastroianni was always at his best in comedy.

Especially sexual comedy, Italian style.

It is a shame this film is no longer available. Someone should bring it back. It is a classic.

1965's "Casanova '70" may be a one joke plot from director Mario Monicelli and producer Carlo Ponti, but it's played with wit by Marcello Mastroianni, the perfect choice to play a womanizing NATO major whose fear of impotence is dispelled by a need to be aroused by life threatening danger (not the classical Giacomo Casanova but a modern day equivalent). Conquest is simply too easy unless there is great risk involved, such as a dare to kiss a lion tamer in her cage with all lions present, or a prostitute so unlucky that all her customers meet tragic fates. His main squeeze is Virna Lisi, so charming and delightful that one hopes that she'll catch him in the end, but by far the most amusing femme fatale is played by Marisa Mell, as the countess whose jealous husband has a history of murdering her suitors. This takes up the bulk of the picture's second half, but with Michele Mercier ("Black Sabbath"), Beba Loncar, Margaret Lee, and many others offering prime Italian pulchritude one truly cannot complain about any lulls in the action, repetitive though they may be.

Regarded as the best Italian actor for all times, Mastroianni, usually saw their contenders thru his rear-mirror in the dust, although has been a multi-faceted actor, he works out better on soft-sex comedies like this, the brilliant director Mario Monicelli co-wrote the story and screenplay as well, the outcome is fresh and beautiful designed, about the amorous adventures of OTAN's Major Andrea Rossi (Mastroianni) as mid-age unmarried man supposedly sexually impotent under normal conditions, just on extremely jeopardy he got an erection, thus he fails steadly with easy girls, fulfilled by gorgeous women this odd Casanova re-telling their affairs with countless woman with a famous psychoanalyst, who analyze him and states as sexual deviant.

However the Psychoanalyst gave to him an weird advice, he must thinking in those black silk stocking and black lingerie, then Andrea replays that he likes it on the women, which the Psychoanalyst corrects him saying that "You must wearing it like I do", suggesting Andrea forget the women and joint himself in the opposite team, the startled Andrea leaves the doctor's office soon as can, one thing is be impotent, but queer is out of question whatsoever, the grieved Andrea thereafter has many dangerous cases, making sex on the Napoleon's bed at Versailles castle meanwhile has been a touring on there, later posing as doctor to certify a girl's maidenhead, betraying his own superior on OTAN with his gorgeous wife sending previously a telegram like it was sent by herself, well in fact the troublemaker Andrea in dire straits all the time.

Magnificent Italian sex comedy without be appealing at all, utterly lustful, the stellar casting of breathtaking pretty girls, as Virna Lisi, Michèle Mercier, Marisa Mell, Liana Orfei, Beba Loncar, Moira Orfei, Margareth Lee and others hot girls, we must recognized that Marcello Mastroianni should not be paid for this job, nonetheless besides to get all those monuments girls as free he got the a lot of money, what lucky guy on hell, I didn't stop laughing on entire picture, please don't miss it for nothing!!

Thanks for reading.

Resume: First watch: 2021 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 9.