DON JUAN DEMARCO
A film review by Christopher Null
Copyright 1995 Christopher Null
Don Juan, the world's greatest lover is ... Johnny Depp? I can believe it, after seeing DON JUAN DEMARCO, a new film by first-time director Jeremy Leven. With excellent flare, Leven brings us this beguiling tale of a young man who may or may not be the legendary seducer of over one thousand women.
When a distraught Don Juan is about to commit suicide because of the loss of his (most recent) love, psychiatrist Jack Mickler (Marlon Brando) is brought in to bring him back to reality. This proves to be a major undertaking, as Mickler slowly begins to realize that the "delusional" Don Juan may actually be who he says he is. As his last case before retirement, Mickler is given ten days to determine whether or not to institutionalize Don Juan, and there, the journey into the man's past begins.
What the doctor finds is a perfect blend of comedy and romance, a serious questioning of our perceptions of reality, and a serious analysis of our beliefs about love. Depp's convincing portrayal of the great lover keeps us constantly guessing as to his true identity, and Brando pulls off his role as a comic foil perfectly. Faye Dunaway has a few good scenes as Brando's wife, with whom he rediscovers their cooled passion as a result of his conversations with Don Juan.
This romantic fable is the type of story that is generally labeled as "cute," but its exquisite performances and comic sensibility prevent the film from taking itself too seriously and becoming a trite sitcom. Instead, the film manages to be touching and convincing. Despite the highly contrived plot and the silly ending, DON JUAN DEMARCO is a memorable update of an ancient tale.
RATING: ****
|* Unquestionably awful | |** Sub-par on many levels | |*** Average quality, hits and misses | |**** Good, memorable film | |***** Perfection |
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