DANGEROUS BEAUTY
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
Capsule: The rewards and hazards of being a
courtesan in late 16th century Venice are the
subject of this not-particularly-original morality
play. Catherine McCormack is charming as the
reluctant courtesan who learns to master and
embrace her work. The story is not very ambitious
but is compelling and the view of Renaissance
Venice is worth the price of admission. Rating: 7
(0 to 10), low +2 (-4 to +4)
It is 1583 in Venice. Society has proscribed a place for its women. The vast majority are to remain the uneducated maintainers of households for their husbands. It is not the most exciting of lives, but if a woman is sufficiently charming her family may arrange a marriage to someone prominent. This will get the woman and perhaps her entire family good social connections. And at least the married woman may hope to live in moderate comfort. In most arranged marriages love is not given strong consideration in the choice of a husband. Families essentially sell off their daughters for material gain.
On the other hand a few of the most beautiful women can become courtesans--mistresses or prostitutes of the wealthy and powerful. Veronica Franco (played by Catherine McCormack) is in love with handsome Marco Venier (Rufus Sewell). But he is from a wealthy family and her father had died leaving the family with a pile of debts and a desperate need of money. As Veronica's mother (Jacqueline Bisset) tells her she must give up the idea of marriage. Besides "marriage is a bargain, not a perpetual tryst." And it is not profitable enough to support the Franco family. Veronica must make the sacrifice of becoming a courtesan as, she is informed, her mother did years ago.
The plot follows a very predictable trajectory from here. Veronica does not want to become a prostitute, but agrees when she discovers that being a courtesan has its advantages. It really is the only way that a woman in Venetian society can escape the heavy restrictions placed on women. A good courtesan is allowed to become educated and, in fact, learning becomes a necessity. Trained by her mother, Veronica learns the skills necessary for the new profession and makes herself the most desirable courtesan in Venice as well as a quick wit with verse. We follow her career from being too poor to have a normal life to having one of the most powerful names in Venice. But the fantasy world she comes to know will change abruptly when it collides with the real world of the Plague and of the Inquisition.
DANGEROUS BEAUTY was written by Jeannine Dominy based on the book THE HONEST COURTESAN by Margaret Rosenthal. The plot is predictable and even familiar, somewhere between myth and soap opera. This does not ruin the story but a less obvious story could have improved the film considerably. As interesting as the foreground plot is the view of life in Renaissance Venice in the background is really what rivets out attention. The visual effects are far from perfect, but occasionally they do create a stunning image, particularly the recreation of nautical scenes.
McCormack previously played Mel Gibson's love interest in BRAVEHEART. In this film she get chances to display her wit, her skill with a sword, and her body, one more enjoyable to see than the other. Rufus Sewell of COLD COMFORT FARM and the current DARK CITY plays Marco her lover. There seems to be between Sewell and McCormack genuine chemistry, a thing too frequently missing from screen love stories. DANGEROUS BEAUTY is populated with actors who would not seem typical for a historical film. Fred Ward seems an odd choice to be playing as a member of the Venier family, but is reasonable if cast against type. Oliver Platt of FLATLINERS as a competing wit also seems as out of place in a costume drama thought he did play in THE THREE MUSKETEERS.
If DANGEROUS BEAUTY has a rather obvious plot and takes the safe course of exploiting a feminist theme, but the production is well- mounted, well-acted, and pretty to look at. I give it a 7 on the 0 to 10 scale and a +2 on the -4 to +4 scale.
Mark R. Leeper
mleeper@lucent.com
Copyright 1998 Mark R. Leeper
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