Rating: 
Summary: Great Disappointment
Review: I read the reviews and thought this would be a good one. However, I was left very disappointed.The cast is great. The acting is good. The set and costumes are beautiful. It's the writing that ruins the movie. The story had so much potential but unfortunately, they 'Hollywoodized' it too much. I found the movie to be too cheesy and sugar coated to be enjoyable. If you are looking for nothing more than a high production soft porn, this will suit you fine. If you want something with more substance, I would recommend The Last King - The Power and the Passion of Charles II. It is truly one of Rufus Sewell's finest performances. The Last King is everything that Dangerous Beauty is not.
Rating: 
Summary: TIMELESS MESSAGES WRAPPED IN A SUPERB ROMANTIC PIECE
Review: Imagine an *intelligent* romantic comedy with a beautiful female lead, set in Venice, with a wafer-crisp and witty script, plus some brilliant doses of worldly wisdom! Veronica (Catherine McCormack) is the kind of woman every man dreams of: a stunning beauty who's also literate and has a great sense of humor. But you see, it's 16th Century Venice, and Veronica has been pressed into service by her mother to work as a courtesan. If you're out of touch with that era's terminology, a courtesan was a prostitute with wealthy, upper class clients. So she's available to some men for some things, for a price. And she's permitted perks not available to other women, such as access to books. The love of her life, a man of position and stature, does not quite go in the sweet, sentimental manner she had hoped. After a time, she becomes accustomed to her job and uses it to her advantage and that of Venice, by entertaining the King of France sufficiently to convince him to provide much-needed ships at a time of war. However, her love for Marco just won't go away, even after he succumbs to family pressures and marries an appropriately positioned woman. That unhappiness is multiplied many times over when the plague strikes Venice, followed closely by the church's Inquisition. That's when we reach the film's climax. Yes, we'd like to have a deeper understanding of what makes Veronica tick; how she reconciled herself deep down to her un-chosen life situation. And it's sentimental, which might turn some off, but really isn't out of proportion to the story and its other strengths. The film presents a couple of very beautiful nuggets of wisdom: (1) There's a consistent moral thread that runs through every society from age to age and generation to generation, the tenets of which are established within parameters, and therefore subject to change; or more specifically, subject to a change in perspective. And that change can come very quickly -- veritably over night in some instances. (2) That there is also another constant that defines the human condition in any era -- that we will do whatever is necessary to survive. It is simply an undeniable, irrefutable basic instinct of the human animal. Moral tenets and survival, however, taken as properties are something akin to oil and water, and will mix accordingly. Being more often than not polar opposites, conflict is inherent and will ultimately surface at some point or other, the outcome of which is determined by the strength of whichever perspective is prevalent at the moment. And it is at such moments that we discover that life, like politics, can be a sordid, unpleasant affair; or at the other end of the spectrum, the greatest gift of all. This is a rare film, a smart love story that isn't saddled with an overly-predictable outcome. For that and its other assets such as dialog and captivating visuals of Venice, it comes highly recommended from me.
Rating: 
Summary: If you are going to be a courtesan, be the best you can be
Review: We are told at the start of "Dangerous Beauty" that this is based on a true story, and indeed Veronica Franco was a well-born Venetian beauty during the Renaissance who decided to become a courtesan. The argument is that for an intelligent woman this was a better choice than being forced into an arranged marriage with some old rich guy or to end up poor. This is especially true when Veronica (Catherine McCormack) is told by the man she loves, Marco Venier (Rufus Sewell), that they cannot marry because they are in different classes of Venetian society. So when Veronica's mother, Paola Franco (Jacqueline Bisset) reveals that she had once been a successful courtesan, the daughter is persuaded to follow suit, especially once her mother tells her that a courtesan can go one place that is off limits to other women: the great library of Venice. I had two major concerns in watching this movie. The first was the idea that this was a true story, because I had the feeling at some point my credulity on this score was going to be tested. This indeed turned out to be the case, because at the climax of this film Veronica ends up being called before the Inquisition and being one of the most public prostitutes in Venice actually turns out to be an advantage. Veronica might not be a saint like Joan d'Arc, but apparently some sins are much better than others in Venice in those days. The second was that Rufus Sewell was in the film, and having seen him in "A Knight's Tale" and the "Helen of Troy" mini-series, I was predisposed to think of him as a bad person. Yes, this 1998 movie was made before either or those productions, but such was my thinking and it took me a while to understand that his character was actually a good person, albeit one constrained by the strictures of his society and class. Just as I was surprised by who was to be the "hero" in this film, relatively speaking, I was equally surprised by the villain turning out to be Oliver Platt, who plays the studious Maffio Venier. Veronica makes her public reputation as a courtesan due in large part to a verbal duel she has with Maffio, but when she refuses his attention because she values his friendship, the duel become a more literal one. Maffio then goes in the completely opposite direction and comes up with a logical, but unexpected way of bringing her to task for her refusal. This sets up the big finish, where Veronica learns that she apparently she is tolerated more than respected, despite the service she has done to her city-state. This is only the second film that Marshall Herkovitz has directed, the first being 1993's "Jack the Bear," although most would be familiar from his work on television's "thirtysomething," "My So Called Life," and "Once and Again." I did not know if I realized how often Herkovitz's constant partner Edward Zwick was doing the work behind the camera. Of course in any sort of costume drama the key is to have a good cinematographer (Bojan Bazelli), art direction (Stefania Cella and Gianni Giovagnoni), set direction (Ian Whittaker), and costumes (Gabriella Pescucci), and Herkovitz has all of those in his favor. However, in the end I am curious as to whether the ending was originally in Margaret Rosenthal's book or created by Jeannie Dominy's script, because if I had not been told upfront that this was essentially a "true" story, I would have been judging the big finish quite differently and probably not as harshly.
Rating:
Summary: THIS MOVIE IS A TRIUMPH
Review: This movie is a triumph to the women of our past who risked a lot of their own personal lives and endured hardships that no woman of today's America, could begin to imagine. Don't forget that Veronica became a prostitute when society in Venice would not allow her to marry her lover, Marco, due to his status among his fellow countrymen. In order to make some sort of life for herself, she reluctantly became a prostitute to be educated and recognized as a human being by her country and the men of her time. When Vernonica does become educated and attractive to the men and women of Venice,she is said to be "bewitching." To even mention the lack of nudity or reality of the life of a prostitute (did you forget the unattractive Bishop she entertains or King of Spain that she beds with a knife at her throat for more naval ships)means that you have missed the entire point of this movie. As stated in the movie "PRETTY WOMAN," I don't believe any woman aspires to become a prostitute, sometimes life makes it the only choice a woman has. This movie is about strength, true love, sacrifice and the reality of the lives led by women in our past and some of today. I myself had female relatives that endured hardship and sacrifices similar to Veronica in order for me to be able to live the life I choose today, with or without a man. I now have the freedom of choice. They did not. We all can only hope that our lives can be fulfilled and lived as we choose and if we happen to find a man like Marco who truly loves, respects and is willing to stand up for us, then we have everything.
Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Story...
Review: I have never watched a movie that evoked such emotion in my heart. It is a romantic story that idealizes true love, and how powerful love is. I understand that the actual life of Veronica Franco herself was not exactly like the movie depicted, however it is a movie filled with romantic truth and beauty. The movie is based on a woman who did great things relative to the time she lived in. I agree that there is nothing glamorous about being a prostitute when it comes to disease, pregnancy, and hardship; however it was the only ticket to freedom for women in a time where men dominated society in every aspect. If one would like to read about the actual life of Veronica Franco, I would recommend a book titled The Honest Courtesan: Veronica Franco, Citizen and Writer in Sixteenth-Century Venice by Margaret F. Rosenthal. On another note, the musical score is absolutely beautiful...you will feel good for the rest of the day after watching it. This movie will even melt a macho-man's heart. :) This is my absolute favorite movie, I hope you enjoy it!
Rating: 
Summary: Renaissance Venice: 90210
Review: Bodice-ripping period flick based (very very loosely) on real-life 16th century Venetian courtesan, Veronica Franco. I have managed to catch this movie twice -- not on purpose -- and I did stick through to the end, so there is something of the "guilty pleasure" here of heaving bosoms, fancy costumes, jewel-encrusted goblets, etc. But this is the low-brow equivalent of a supermarket romance novel. IMDB lists no fewer than FIVE different titles for this film, 3 in the US alone and I don't recall it ever appearing at my local cineplex. It's really just soft-focus, soft-core porn for women (no horny guy could bear to sit thought this slop for the minimal nudity). That in itself wouldn't be so terrible, but I really mind historical fiction that butchers history. There are so many gaffs, it would take a ream of paper to list them all. Veronica is the kind of prostitute imagined by junior high school girls -- she's gorgeous, gets to wear incredible gowns and has loving, consensual, pleasurable sex with numerous good looking, stud-like men who respect her deeply. No old fat guys, impotent jerks, no one beats her up or refuses to pay her. Oh, and somehow someone has invented a sixteenth century "morning after" drug with NO side effects, so she can have all the sex she wants and never get pregnant. When in love with frog-eyed Rufus Sewell (as stiff as a Ken doll), Veronica dons men's clothing and rides horseback in pants. Other times, she wears short, revealing skirts or skirts over slacks. (Trust me, no woman in the Renaissance could have EVER dressed this way.) Catherine McCormack is beautiful, but has a very limited emotional range. She is especially unconvincing as a young teenager, since she's probably in her late twenties. (The fine Austrailian actress, Naomi Watts has a small part as Sewell's wife in an arranged marriage and is totally wasted in an unsympathetic part...you have to wonder what she could have done in the title role.) The whole thing culminates in an embarassing "trial", where all the important men of the city stand up to the Grand Inquisition and admit they are Veronica's "customers" (risking punishment themselves, not to mention the wrath of their wives). This is just grating and unrealistic in the extreme. The real Veronica Franco was tried twice by the Inquisiton (in private, as it was normally done) and not for witchcraft, which is absurd. Even worse is the poetry...clearly this is NOT Veronica's actual poetry, even in translation, but some kind of awful doggeral produced for the film. In all my readings about the Italian Renaissance, I never read anything about "poetry slam" contests, and if they had them, the quality of the poetry would have been considerably better -- remember this is roughly the period that William Shakespeare was working in. The film ends abruptly after the trail, with just a brief afterword on the screen to ensure us that Marco (Sewell) and Veronica remained in love for the rest of their lives. Uh-huh. The real lives of prostitutes, even courtesans, are totally ignored -- no unwanted pregancies, illegitimate children (in a time when that made one a social outcast), veneral diseases, etc. Only one brief mention of the inevitable end of a prostitutes life -- a diseased outcast on the fringes of society, tossed out with no protection when she is no longer pretty or young. Although this movie is not especially "dirty" -- I have seen and heard much worse on "Sex in the City" -- I shudder to think of impressional young girls seeing it and thinking that this is a historically accurate representation of women's lives in the past. There is NOTHING romantic about being a prostitute. In short -- bad, hammy soft-core nonsense for addle-brained romantics who have never studied history or want anything serious to think about.
Rating:
Summary: Dangerous Beauty: Beautiful, Not Dangerous
Review: My mom said there was going to be a lot of nudity in this film and so my brother didn't even watch it. I watched it and thought it was wonderful. Excellent imagery and acting. This film seemed better than some Oscar-winnners. In some ways, it's similar to The Messenger (the docudrama on Joan of Arc), with the same beautiful images and intense issues, but unlike that film it contains no gruesome content, discounting some playful semi-nudity. The title of the film is the only thing that doesn't seem to work. Veronica Franco is certainly beautiful and has an adept mind, but there's nothing murderous about her, nothing dark at all.
Rating:
Summary: An underrated gem
Review: This highly evocative and entertaining film was sadly ignored when it was released in 1998, but it is most definitely worth a second look. The film explores the world of courtesans, women in Renaissance-era Venice who lived to pleasure men but were also allowed access to education at a time when most women couldn't even read. Veronica Franco (Catherine McCormack of "Braveheart" fame) has no dowry to marry her true love Marco Venier (Rufus Sewell) and thus learns the art of giving pleasure from her mother (Jacqueline Bisset). She quickly becomes the most sought-after courtesan in Venice, earns renown as a poet in her own right, and finds herself afforded a small deal more power than most women in Venice. The cast is first-rate. McCormack imbues Veronica with a great deal of intelligence and passion, as well as a searing wit. She may come across as far too post-modern in a few scenes, though those are likely meant to portray her as ahead of her time. Rufus Sewell may not have the looks of the typical romantic lead, but he is probably the most convincing one in recent years. The male characters may be intriguing, but far more fascinating are the women, who display the limited options available to Renaissance women. As Beatrice, Marco's sister, Moira Kelly marries a man older than her father, and condemns herself life of motherhood and lack of fulfillment. The regret registers on her face more and more with each scene in a very affecting performance. Naomi Watts makes a brief appearance as Marco's pious wife, who cannot be anything more than what she was taught. Things begin to fall apart, literally and artistically, when the Plague and the Inquisition roll into town, and the grandstanding finale may strike some as over the top, but on the whole, "Dangerous Beauty" is a provocative, interesting, lovely film.
Rating:
Summary: Bravo!!!
Review: From the first scene, where the courtesans were paraded down the canals of Venice, I was captivated by this movie! Catherine McCormack played a very convincing Veronica Franco, capturing both the physical beauty and the witty intellect of this real-life courtesan. Rufus Sewell, who is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite actors (aka "hunk") is simply wonderful!!! I laughed, I cried, I ooohed and I aaahed! This movie definitely rates as one of my favorite romances. I am an avid reader of historical romances and courtesans are refered to from time to time. Although I had a broad idea of what a courtesan was - this movie gave the meaning real depth and showed how some women were taught the arts of seducing and pleasuring a man by their mothers in order to obtain a better life for themselves and the families who depended on them. Other women chose the profession because they felt it offered them a better life and more freedom than they'd find in a marital arrangement. And it also showed that even having chose this profession, these women still loved and yearned to be loved.
The costuming and the scenery were dynamic! From the costumes the courtesans wore while "entertaining" to the dress of the more proper wives and the townspeople - it was all extraordinary.
All in all, I truly enjoyed this movie and am so glad I purchased it after having someone recommend it to me.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, but historically...not quite accurate
Review: While most definitely an excellent film, I have done some research on Veronica Franco and I think the film might not have done her justice. Don't get me wrong, the film is admirably acted by the cast and the story is beautiful. I just recommend that you don't use it for historical reference. Examples (some spoilers): Veronica Franco was brought before the inquisition twice, not just once. There was never any danger of death as the movie suggests, only the public flogging that we do see in passing. Veronica Franco was married for a short time, and she did have children. And finally (this I think is the most insulting towards the memory of Veronica Franco), no one was allowed into the inquisition. She defended herself by her wits, and her wits alone. So the entire scene before the priests where everyone stands to defend her is quite moving, but historically it is ridiculous. I think the movie might have been better if they had allowed McCormack to show Veronica's intelligence by saving herself instead of relying on others. As I said, this is a great film and I enjoy watching it. It's just that watching it now and knowing what really happened...it puts a somewhat negative light on what could have been a very moving scene.
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