Can Johnny Depp convince you that he is “Don Juan DeMarco”? Bank on it
Don Juan DeMarco – 4 Stars (Excellent)
“Don Juan DeMarco” is a neat, compact and fascinating film that is not only fantastic entertainment but also tests your sense of reality. Somehow, sadly, it got lost in its limited exposure and lack of commercial success to be almost forgotten as a major cinematic endeavor.
I’m here to resurrect him and sing the praises of Johnny Depp as Don Juan DeMarco.
Released in 1995 as an independent film, Don Juan DeMarco is the story of John R. DeMarco, a man who believes himself to be Don Juan, the world’s greatest lover. Dressed in a loose cape and mask, he arrives in New York in search of his lost love, Doña Ana (Geraldine Pailhas).
Distraught at not finding her, he attempts to commit suicide from the top of a billboard, only to be discouraged by the soon-to-be retiring psychiatrist Dr. Jack Mickler (Marlon Brando). Dr. Mickler has exactly 10 days to bring DeMaco back to reality or he will probably never leave the mental hospital where he is being held for evaluation.
Dr. Mickler is required to administer DeMarco medications immediately, but chooses not to. DeMarco’s impact on Dr. Mickler and the staff is immediately apparent, and it is as compelling as Don Juan that even Dr. Mickler is affected by reevaluating his own life and marriage to his wife Marilyn (Faye Dunaway).
This movie is too good to reveal what happens next.
The transformation of the people around Don Juan DeMarco is remarkable. It is intoxicating and uplifting. There’s a reason Johnny Depp is credited with being one of the most versatile actors in the movie business and why the movies featuring him have grossed more than $ 4.7 billion worldwide.
Director Jeremy Leven also wrote the script, which included some of Lord Byron’s work in his legendary poem “Don Juan.” Dozens of Hollywood directors have tried directing and writing a movie, but few have done it as well as Leven. He joins a very short list that includes Tim McCanlies on “Secondhand Lions” and Brian De Palma on “Dressed to Kill.”
To understand the power of the script, listen to Don Juan DeMarco’s dialogue talking about women:
“In life there are only 4 questions of value, Don Octavio. What is sacred? What is the spirit made of? Why is it worth living and why is it worth dying? The answer to all of them is the same: only love”.
“Seeing beyond what is visible to the eyes. Now there are those, of course, who do not share my perceptions, it is true. When I say that all my women are stunning beauties, they object. Her nose is too big; the hips of another are too wide, perhaps the breasts of a third are too small.
“But I see these women for what they really are … Glorious, radiant, spectacular and perfect … Because it does not limit my view. Women react to me the way they do, Don Octavio, because they feel that I am looking for the beauty that is there. inside until they overwhelm everything else. And then they can’t help their desire, to release that beauty and wrap me in it. “
Have you never met a woman who inspires you to love? Until all your senses are filled with it? You inhale it. You taste it. You see your unborn children in their eyes and you know that your heart has finally found a home. Your life begins with it, and without it it must surely end. “
I was thinking, how did I miss this dialogue when I was 20 and dating? It’s no wonder hindsight and maturity are so valuable in our relationships.
Johnny Depp is an exceptional actor who shows his talents in Don Juan DeMarco. Depp has been nominated three times for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his work in “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” “Seeking Neverland” and “Sweeney Todd: Fleet’s Demon Barber. Street “. He won the Golden Globe for Best Actor for Sweeney Todd.
Don Juan DeMarco had a strong musical score by Michael Kamen, and the song “Have you ever really loved a woman?” was nominated for both a Golden Globe and a Grammy.
Unfortunately, Don Juan DeMarco cost $ 25 million to produce and generated $ 68 million worldwide. The lack of awards and the failure to produce higher profits meant less press and less exposure for the film, reducing its impact.
I thought Don Juan DeMarco and Johnny Depp were tremendously good and deserved better. I would see this movie again in a heartbeat.
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley