Dangerous Beauty/A Destiny of Her Own (1998) - Yawns galore with Herskovitz's stale, hokey Venice-set period romance

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+ 3rd Worst Movie of the Year

 

A partially undressed Catherine McCormack looking sensually at you from a bed of red velvet invites with a tag-line of a 'life without compromise' on this poster for Marshall Herskovitz's Dangerous Beauty

A beautiful woman in 16th century Venice falls for a nobleman and he for her, but their stand in society prevents them from marrying, so that she instead becomes his courtesan.

 

Dangerous Beauty is written by Jeannine Dominy (American Experience (1991, TV series documentary), controller), adapting the non-fiction book The Honest Courtesan (1992) by Margaret Rosenthal, and directed by Marshall Herskovitz (Jack the Bear (1993)).

The Italians are British (actors), which is symptomatic for a film in which every component tastes artificially. Rufus Sewell (Carrington (1995)) doesn't appear as a real man here as the nobleman, who beds just about half the city, but the seemingly (in its own evaluation) 'risqué' film actually has only one dry sex scene.

Dangerous Beauty is pompous and poor on nuances as it snails its way forward: It is a deadly boring, well-behaved women's magazine type of film, in which lead Catherine McCormack (A Sound of Thunder (2005)) is eventually accused of being a witch due to her promiscuous lifestyle.

 

Related post:

 

1998 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: Estimated 8 mil. $

Box office: In excess of 4.5 mil. $ (North America only)

= Uncertain but likely a huge flop - better than 0.56 times its cost

[Dangerous Beauty was released 20 February (USA) and runs 112 minutes. Shooting took place around April 1996 in Italy, including Rome. The film opened #17 to a 105k $ first weekend in 10 theaters in North America, where it grossed 4.5 mil. $. The film's international gross numbers are regrettably not reported online. The film was likely less successful abroad and may have landed at a realistic 7 mil. $ gross, which would be a 0.87 return, ranking the film still a 'huge flop'. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, translating to 4 notches over this one. Herskovitz never directed another feature but did direct 3 TV credits and turned towards producing in the next two decades. McCormack returned in Dancing at Lughnasa (1998); Sewell in Dark City (1998). Dangerous Beauty is fresh at 68 % with a 6.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Dangerous Beauty?

Don't Look Now (1973) or, Grief in Venice

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The exciting, chilling poster for Nicholas Roeg's Don't Look Now

QUICK REVIEW:

An English couple lose their daughter in a drowning accident. Soon hereafter they venture to Venice, where the woman meets a blind, psychic woman who then disappears.

Based on a short story by Dauphne du Maurier (Jamaica Inn (1936)), Nicholas Roeg's (The Witches (1990)) horror drama Don't Look Now is somewhat similar to Rosemary's Baby (1968)), though substantially less exciting.
It is lovely to be in Venice in the film, and the acting of leads Julie Christie (Troy (2004)) and Donald Sutherland (The Art of War (2000)) is fairly good. But Roeg's visual and editing style is stressful and feels a bit film school-y and tedious and at times involuntarily funny to me, although others find it innovative. Don't Look Now divides people, and I am obviously not among its many fans. I think it could have been a considerably better film.
Allan Scott (Regeneration (1997)) and Chris Bryant (The Awakening (1980)) wrote the screenplay.

Watch the original trailer for the film here

Cost: Estimated 1.1 - 1.5 mil. $
Box office: Unknown
= Unknown
[The film was shot in England and Italy December 1972 - February 1973. It became controversial upon release due to a heated if not very stimulating sex scene between the two leads, which led to the film's X rating in Britain, where the scene was cut for the its later TV premiere on BBC. It has been rumored that the scene featured unsimulated sex, which naturally infuriated Warren Beatty, Christie's boyfriend at the time, but the truth remains obscure. In Britain, the film was released on a double bill with the better film The Wicker Man (1973). The film's B.O. numbers are unfortunately not available online to my knowledge. It was well-received by many critics and won a BAFTA for Best Cinematography, (and was nominated for another 6.) Its star has only grown since then, also with many filmmakers praising it. Don't Look Now is certified fresh at 96 % with a 8.9 critical average on Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Don't Look Now?

Death in Venice/Morte a Venezia (1971) - Bogarde shines in Visconti's adaptation masterpiece

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An original French poster for Luchino Visconti's Death in Venice

QUICK REVIEW:

A German composer travels to a spa hotel in Venice for his health, and is there encapsulated in the youth of a Polish family staying there, Tadzio, while a mysterious illness sweeps the sinking city.

Death in Venice is an adaptation of great German writer Thomas Mann's (Buddenbrooks (1901)) 1912 novella of the same name, adapted by Nicola Badalucco (The Damned/La Caduta Degli Dei (1969)) and Italian master filmmaker Luchino Visconti (The Leopard/Il Gattopardo (1963)).
Dirk Bogarde (Victim (1961)) is outstanding as the Gustav Mahler-inspired protagonist, giving what is in my opinion one of the all time greatest actor's performances, in this beautiful, serene masterpiece of the human desire for beauty and death. Mahler's music is also used to great effect in the film.
Piero Tosi (The Damned) created the magnificent, Oscar-nominated costumes; Pasqualino De Santis (Lucky Luciano (1973)) photographed the resplendent images.
Death in Venice is an eminently ambiguous and complex ode to beauty in the world. Never to be missed.

Related review:

Luchino Visconti: The Leopard/Il Gattopardo (1963) - The greatest film ever made?

Dirk Bogarde with Björn Andrésen (The Simple-Minded Murderer/Den Enfaldige Mördaren (1982)) as Tadzio in Luchino Visconti's Death in Venice

Watch the original trailer for the film here

Cost: 2 mil. $
Box office: Unknown
= Unknown
[During shooting of the sun-chair scene seen on the picture above, Visconti struggled to find the right whitening creme for Bogarde's face: He eventually made the actor wear a paint that burned him, because it was unfit to wear on skin, but which Visconti thought just right. Bogarde was paid 0.5 mil. $, 25 % of the film's entire budget. Warner Bros., who were to handle distribution in North America, were nervous about the subject matter and wanted to write the film off, until the London premiere was attended by Elizabeth II and Princess Anne. The film was shown in competition in Cannes, where it was given the 25th Birthday Prize, (also for the director's entire work), while Joseph Losey's The Go-Between won the main prize. Tosi lost the costume Oscar to Nicholas and Alexandra (1971). Death in Venice is fresh at 76 % with a 7.3 critical average on Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Death in Venice?

Italian for Beginners/Italiensk for Begyndere (2000) - Scherfig's perfect gem of a Dogme romcom

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The attractive poster for Lone Scherfig's Italian for Beginners

The Danish Dogme manifesto of 1995 was a set of pious rules that meant hand-held photography, low budgets, no stunts, no extra-diegetic music, no unreal violence, etc. etc. etc., and together, Lars Von Trier's The Idiots/Idioterne (1998), Thomas Vinterberg's The Celebration/Festen (1998) and Lone Scherfig's Italian for Beginners are above question the finest films that came out of the successful wave.

Italian for Beginners is the story of a priest that temps in a broken down parish; two sisters that find each other when both their parents pass away; and a soccer stadium restaurant manager who gets fired. They all attend an evening course in Italian and end up going to Venice together.

This film is a liberating watch for many reasons: It is filled with weighty drama, (joggling themes of death, impotence and loneliness), and none of the heavy parts of life are slighted here. But they are balanced in an incredibly sensitive and funny script (also by Scherfig (An Education (2009))), and combined with tender romances. It all bears the risk of becoming sentimental, but the Dogme realism luckily keeps the film from that pitfall.
Much of the ironic humor of the film lies in the special Danish language, intonations and national quirks and will therefore likely not be picked up by foreigners, but much of it still will, I suspect, and the film should prove a great enjoyment to all in any case.
There are exceedingly charming performances from the female actors; Annette Støvelbæk (Speed Walking/Kapgang (2014)) as the clumsy Olympia, Ann Eleonora Jørgensen (The Killing/Forbrydelsen (2007), TV-series) as the assured hairdresser, and Sara Indrio Jensen (No Time for Love/Simon & Malou (2009)) as the Italian waitress. Anders W. Berthelsen (Mifune/Mifunes Sidste Sang (1999)) is wonderful as the troubled priest, and in his perhaps finest work of all, Peter Gantzler (Copenhagen Dreams (2013), short) shines and acts with all of his great talent as the cautious, good-willed Jørgen Mortensen.
The wonderful supporting cast builds the pleasure of Italian for Beginners up even higher; especially Jesper Christensen's (The Debt (2010)) performance has garnered national notoriety (and is commonly quoted), but also Bent Mejding (We Shall Overcome/Drømmen (2006)) as the disillusioned priest is formidable, and Lars Kaalund (In a Better World/Hævnen (2010)) as the temperamental Halfin is an asshole, but fun.

A film about the passions of the self-effacing, the weak, the arrogant, and the ridiculous, and about the tremendous gift of love, Italian for Beginners turned out to be recognized and appreciated the world over, and is said to have been the most profitable Scandinavian film in history to date, (which may or may not be true.)
Though the cast never withdrew much career-wise (internationally, anyway) from this placement, - only Christensen has since then developed a strong international career with performances in films such as The Interpreter (2005), Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Melancholia (2011) etc. - Scherfig has build a strong path for herself, especially through films in the UK, but has never since made such a masterful film, though especially her great An Education (2009) received much praise, three Oscar-nominations, and served as the breakthrough for Carey Mulligan (Drive (2011)).
Scherfig's current project is an Oxford-set university thriller with the title The Riot Club to come out in 2014.

Related post:

Top 10: The best adaptations reviewed by Film Excess to date 

 

Vibrant filmmaking, - you will not be able to resist it! Italian for Beginners - look it up pronto!

Cost: Reportedly between 0.6 mil.-1 mil. $
Box office: 16.3 mil. $
= Mega-hit (returned at least 16.3 times the cost)
[Italian for Beginners was released 8 December (Denmark) and runs 118 minutes. Shooting took place in Zealand, Denmark and in Venice, Italy. The film opened #42 to a 66k $ strong first weekend in 3 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #25 and in 99 theaters (different weeks) and grossed impressive 4.5 mil. $ (27.6 % of the total gross) during its 25-week run there. The film's biggest market was its native Denmark, where it grossed 5.2 mil. $ (31.9 %) from 828,701 admissions, making it the 13th highest attended Danish film in the country ever. North America was the 2nd largest market, and Germany was the 3rd largest with 3.5 mil. $ (21.5 %). The film won 4/5 nominations at the Berlin International Film Festival; it was nominated for a European Film award and won 3/11 Robert noms, Denmark's Oscar, among other honors. In 2010, Zentropa, the production company behind the film, payed an undisclosed sum to Irish writer Maeve Binchy, whose novel Evening Class (1998) Scherfig admitted to have "borrowed from" from for the film. Italian for Beginners is certified fresh at 88 % with a 7.2/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

Thoughts on Dogme and other great romances in cinema history?
What do you think of Italian for Beginners?