SnoopyStyle Giacomo Casanova (Peter O'Toole) is working in obscurity as a poor librarian in a nobleman's castle. Edith (Rose Byrne) is a new servant. Her father gambled away the family wealth before his death. She is educated and in awe of Casanova's legend. He is writing his memoirs and recalls his life to her. As a boy, he is left behind by his courtesan mother. As a young man (David Tennant), he is penniless and without any connections. Henriette (Laura Fraser) likes the young pretender and immediately steals his purse. He takes Rocco as his manservant. He starts pretending to be a lawyer, a physician, an astrologer, a musician and others. Flirtatious Henriette gets engaged to pompous Duke of Grimani. Casanova falls for singer Bellino who is pretending to be a boy. Henriette continues to be his great love but she prefers the safety of Grimani's money. He saves rich noble Bragadin from callous physicians and their operation. Bragadin adopts Casanova and Henriette agrees to marry him. The jealous Grimani has Casanova imprisoned.Peter O'Toole is a terrific Casanova. He exudes charm. I love his flirtatious cat and mouse game with Rose Byrne. If that is all in the movie, this would be a great masterpiece. It would be a movie worthy of some acting awards. O'Toole is bringing a power deep within him. It's a sight to behold. I am less in love of David Tennant as Casanova. He's more jokey. He doesn't have O'Toole's reservoir of darkness. Those parts feel less weighty and more like a TV movie of Casanova. It's still worthwhile to see but I wish the movie stays with O'Toole more.

mikey1207 I have watched it with my girlfriend and normally I wouldn't care anything bout such movies but this one, this one made my heart break almost as hard as in the movie ...It has lots of funny parts and David Tennant is just an incredible actor (can't wait to see him in the Hobbit) who has proved on many occasions to be one of the best (together with James Nesbitt) actors BBC has to offer.The composition of the music works wonders with the screen, and really can describe the feeling that the actors are having, many credits for that goes to Murray Gold (respect for that)Even if you are a big guy like myself, watch this mini series or movie... there will be others about Casanova but none will be as good as this piece of art.

fudge_factory I think the negative reviews are all from people after a genuine biography - not a humorous, clever, dramatisation of a mans life - which this was - clever, sad and brilliantly written. Casanova was witty, gentle, sexy as sin and ugh made me go weak at the knees! This was what it was, and I for one really enjoyed it - I found Henriette and Casanova's impossible love heart wrenching, and the dreary English court very funny. Seeing the fabulous colours and music from the other court made me want to go there.(however inaccurate it may be!) Rocco as the enduring friend and Jack as the silent son who eventually does just what Casanova does, but so very differently, without the care and love and time that made Casanova "the greatest lover that ever lived"

PBear_SF A disappointing, low-farce approach to the subject at hand, contradictorily fettered with maudlin high melodrama in the latter-day scenes with O'Toole.As biography it's a mess, full of deliberate modern-day anachronisms and tacky music-video flashiness, completely lacking in credibility (and a disgrace to the name of Masterpiece Theatre) -- but as low-brow British comedy, in the tradition of the CARRY ON films, it's great fun and mostly successful (thanks to Tennant's charming performance as young Casanova). It would have worked much better as a normal-length film, with the entire of the old Casanova scenes with O'Toole left out of the picture.Apparently ran 10 minutes longer on the BBC than it did here in the US on PBS (censorship?).