Dangerous Beauty

R

Released Feb 20, 1998

1 hr. 51 min.

History

Drama

List

70%

30 Reviews

Tomatometer

85%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Veronica (Catherine McCormack) is brilliant, gifted and beautiful, but the handsome aristocrat she loves, Marco Venier (Rufus Sewell), cannot marry her because she is penniless and of questionable family. So Veronica's mother, Paola (Jacqueline Bisset), teaches her to become a courtesan, one of the exotic companions favored by the richest and most powerful Venetian men. Veronica courageously uses her charms to change destiny -- and to give herself a chance at true love.

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Shawna T

Funny, fast-paced, lavish, vibrant and romantic.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/22/24

Full Review

Audience Member

A time when women were seen as property instead of equals and only royalty married royalty It's Venice 1853 and one young woman will change things during the age of courtesans Marshall Herskovitz makes the true story of a new kind of love starring Catherine McCormack, Moira Kelly, Rufus Sewell, Naomi Watts, Oliver Platt, the late Fred Ward, and Jacqueline Bisset Veronica Franco is brilliant, gifted and beautiful, but the handsome aristocrat she loves, Marco Venier cannot marry her because she is penniless and of questionable family So Veronica's mother, Paola teaches her to become a courtesan, one of the exotic companions favored by the richest and most powerful Venetian men Veronica courageously uses her charms to change destiny -- and to give herself a chance at true love But society deems it unworthy, even the Church deeming her accused of witchcraft Their goal is to drive out the harlots they believe plague their city, it's bad enough war and disease ravages Europe at this point Is beauty a manifestation of the divine?, is marriage only a contract?, witchcraft to some seems like the only explanation for depravity, yearning and need for love can be labeled as filth for damnation of our souls The costumes are intricately detailed, the setting is astonishing, and the music is quite soothing The last half is where the plot actually gets very serious and it becomes downright saddening But McCormack and Sewell are the bright spots playing loving souls in an era when religious persecution and elegant company reign It's also refreshing to have a love story told from a female's perspective given the roles that dominated much of this part of human history

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

Steve D

The premise was interesting but the execution was lacking.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Radheshwari S

A well-done movie of a time we can hardly imagine, 16th Cent Venice. It's about the social standing of the courtesans, their unique knowledge and mastery of the fine arts equal to the men of nobility of that time. A beautiful film so see the acting of Jacqueline Bisset, Naomi Watts, Catherine McCormack and Rufus Sewell. And apparently it is the story of Veronica Franco. And has much to say about love and culture as well. This film is a treasure!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

You can time travel with this movie and feel wonderful about it. Casting is true to their characters. Both men and women have something to learn even to this modern day. On the other hand this could the life of just one extraordinary courtesan but others might not have been this lucky enough though. It is definitely an excellent example of how education do not call for boundaries but pure desire. This movie could be an wonderful distraction from the routine. Go ahead and watch it

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I love this movie, I know it's far from historically accurate but the story is just very entertaining to me.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

Full Review

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Marshall Herskovitz

Director

Catherine McCormack

Veronica Franco

Rufus Sewell

Marco Venier

Jacqueline Bisset

Paola Franco

Oliver Platt

Maffio Venier

Moira Kelly

Beatrice Venier

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Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: B-

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Globe and Mail

Rated: 1.5/4

Apr 12, 2002

Full Review

Susan Stark

Detroit News

Rated: 3/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Emma Clark-Dow

Stuff.co.nz

If you love a historical film with unrequited love, war, plague and even witchcraft, Dangerous Beauty is for you.

May 4, 2023

Full Review

Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

This film can be seen on the small screen, since it’s not big, but make sure you have some good resolution on your TV or you’ll miss some of the more elegant work of the year.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 18, 2023

Full Review

Malcolm Johnson

Hartford Courant

Only McCormack manages to breathe any urgency into a tale that takes far too long to escape the fate of too many films set in Venice, in which San Marco and the Grand Canal's gondola fleet overwhelm story and characters.

Apr 25, 2018

Full Review

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Synopsis

Veronica (Catherine McCormack) is brilliant, gifted and beautiful, but the handsome aristocrat she loves, Marco Venier (Rufus Sewell), cannot marry her because she is penniless and of questionable family. So Veronica's mother, Paola (Jacqueline Bisset), teaches her to become a courtesan, one of the exotic companions favored by the richest and most powerful Venetian men. Veronica courageously uses her charms to change destiny -- and to give herself a chance at true love.

Director: Marshall Herskovitz
Executive Producer: Michael G. Nathanson, Stephen Randall
Screenwriter: Margaret Rosenthal, Jeannine Dominy
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: New Regency Pictures, Bedford Falls Productions
Rating: R (Scenes of Strong Sexuality|Nudity|Language)
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 20, 1998, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.6M
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, DTS, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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