Don Juan DeMarco

I realize that I gave this too many marks, but if there's anything I have realized about cinema, it can best be said by a line that I watched, performed by Jean-Louis Trintignant, where he stated (and I paraphrase), something like, 'I can't remember the movie, but I can recall my feelings', and that sums up nicely why I feel the way I do about the movie. It's an interesting idea acted well by very good actors (a lot of people dismiss Marlon Brando's work here, but I don't think it's that bad, honestly). If anything, the problem here is the movie doesn't know where to go after it's decent start.

He who says every woman is a mystery to be solved.

One of the earliest films for Johnny Depp and very surprising. Thematically, the film is for the grown ups, but well made without too much sexual exploit. That means you can comfortably sit and watch with your family. This is not actually about Don Juan, but kind of 'The Fall'. I mean the flashback reveals everything and remains as a mystery.

The story follows a man who himself declares the real Don Juan DeMarco, the greatest lover of the world. So he ends in a psychiatric centre for the treatment after trying to commit suicide. A doctor who is on the verge to retire set to treat him and when the DeMarco narrates his life story, the doctor too inspires to reinstate his romantic life. The remaining narration tells how they work out to solve the issue once for all.

Not a masterpiece, but kind of interesting drama, particularly for how the film characters were drawn. And the story was built cleverly, till the final scene by giving out the viewers a positive message that worth living life to love and to be loved. So if you opt it for the title, not a bad choice, since the theme remains about the love, even the person you are looking for is not present. More like it is a metaphor, when it comes to the real Don Juan and the one in this film. Like people say god is everywhere, the love is as well and so the version/personality of Don Juan in every person.

Johnny Depp was so good, an ideal person to play the title role. Marlon Brando was too great, in a simple way. The rest of the cast was not bad, but the entire film focused on these two than anybody else. It's been nearly 25 years since it came out, but I feel a remake would be not a bad idea with changes in the script. Todays writer and directors are clever at doing that, but it should come from a big banner with big names. Maybe Johnny Deep to play the doctor in the modern version. I hope some filmmakers read this and consider that. Meanwhile, it is a worthy film, so it a try.

7/10

Brando, Depp and Dunaway in an amusing and inspiring romcom

After a psychiatrist in New York (Marlon Brando) talks a young Lothario out of committing suicide (Johnny Depp), the supposedly delusional man is interned at a mental hospital for examination where his charisma has an interesting effect on the people. Faye Dunaway plays the doctor’s wife.

"Don Juan DeMarco” (1994) is a whimsical romantic dramedy with psychological insights highlighted by the three stars. Brando was verging on 70 during shooting and would only do four more feature films while Depp was a rising star who wouldn’t hit it big for another five years, as far as box office success goes. While the movie performed mediocrely in America, it made almost three times its cost worldwide and thus was considered a success for New Line Cinema.

This was Marlon’s beefiest role since “The Missouri Breaks” (1976) and “Apocalypse Now” (1979) with the rest of his late-era films having minimal parts (for big bucks). While it’s criticized that he “coasts” through the role of the psychiatrist, mumbling, his performance fits the fun, insightful and inspiring tone.

Depp would team-up with Brando again for his dismal oddity “The Brave” (1997).

The film runs 1 hour, 37 minutes, and was shot in Southern Cal (Saugus, Los Angeles and Santa Clarita) with second unit work done in O'ahu and New York.

GRADE: B