Parents' Guide to

Casanova

By Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Legendary lover cleans up for happy commitment.

Movie R 2005 108 minutes
Casanova Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

LeighTussey
LeighTussey Adult
May 28, 2021
age 18+

Fun comedy but lacks real substance

The main character sleeps around a LOT and then develops feelings for a woman who has self respect and is saving herself for marriage. He manipulates and lies his way into tricking her into marrying him. There is a pretty gratuitous sex scene a few minutes in. And a less graphic, but still disconcerting, clip of an orgy later on. (SPOILERS AHEAD) He eventually does one right thing, causing her to "fall in love" with him and they end up running away together. Granted, they run away because they are both on death row, but they still kiss during their departure and it is implied they spend the rest of their lives together . He was on death row for sleeping around and damaging the reputation of the Catholic city, she was on death row for being a heretic--publishing feminist material under a fake name. The women Francesca was a good role model for the most part, but she falls in love way too quickly with a man she barely knows, who is not only a player but who also lied and manipulated her, because he took the fall for her on the feminist articles (when he was already going to be sentenced to death anyway. So that doesn't mean much). It was unrealistic and I don't see a woman like her falling for a man like that without gradually mounting emotional abuse, including love-bombing and gaslighting OR unless their was REAL change demonstrated over TIME This movie glamorizes a highly sexual lifestyle. It has a good level of healthy feminism before throwing it out the window on a cheap trope of "bad guy becomes good, and good girl accepts him." It was an intriguing plot and I enjoyed the watch, but I probably wouldn't see it again. It was lacking in admirable characters and (as someone who is NOT a feminist) I do see this movie as coming from a male gaze standpoint who really doesn't care about or understand respectable women of character. It was very make gaze-y and full of cliche tropes.

This title has:

Too much sex
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In CASANOVA, 18th-century womanizer Giacomo Girolamo Casanova (Heath Ledger) spots Francesca (Sienna Miller), lecturing in an academy, disguised as a man. Her topic: the state of heterosexual relations. When her listeners insist they will never stand for a woman among them, she whips off her wig and beard, noting, "Too late, gentlemen!" Although Casanova is soon trying to escape from guards who have been sent by his arch-enemy Pucci (Jeremy Irons), he likes feisty Francesca and sets out to win her. To evade arrest, Casanova agrees to marry the virgin Victoria (Natalie Dormer), while Francesca is promised to lard baron Papprizzio (Oliver Platt) by her impoverished mother Andrea Bruni (Lena Olin). Though Francesca despises everything she knows about Casanova, she is taken by him when he pretends to be Papprizzio. He tries to keep her away from the real Papprizzio, avoid Pucci, and charm Victoria and Andrea in order to give himself enough room to seduce Francesca.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Gaudy and giddy, this Casanova is full of energy but also strangely limp. Here the legendary lover is caught up in a swirl of Venetian activities, from pig wrangling and dueling to hot air ballooning and torturing (supposedly comedic, though associated with the Inquisition), but he's actually quite the nice fellow. Casanova's story is a juggling act and then some, but for all the flouncing and running about, it's very slow going.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the representation of marriage, as a means to solidify one's social status, clear one's name, cover up for sexual activity, and gain money. Francesca's argument for women's rights and against men's objectification of women is simplistic but also provides grist for conversation: how can she make her point clear in a film where she's the primary romantic object?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate