Word: leven
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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directed by Jeremy Leven...
...Jeremy Leven's "Don Juan de Marco" is a dishearteningly monochromatic interpretation of the world's most notorious lover. Johnny Depp, with his penchant for eccentric roles, seems to be an inspired choice to play the mysterious, sensuous young man who appears in the late twentieth century to recount intimate memories of his prolific love life. But as the picture-perfect sunsets flash across the screen, the lovely ladies disrobe, the orchestra hums and the saccharine sentiments fly, it becomes apparent that his Don Juan is just another primetime soap opera rogue...
Perhaps his sweet tooth does not extend to the syrupy script. Writer and director Leven, a psychotherapist who spent time on the Harvard faculty, was not expecting this acting trinity to descend upon his humble screenplay and is simply unprepared to handle such an awesome burden on his first stint as a director...
Sentiments like, "Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life," make the film at times eerily reminiscent of "Saturday Night Live's" "Deep Thoughts" by Jack Handy. 'Don Juan de Marco" kills itself with kitschy sweetness in an effort to create precious moments. And Leven's concept of Don Juan as a modern model of the seducer raises some interesting questions about his understanding of the realities of contemporary sexual promiscuity...
...continues to inspire skepticism. A short-lived joint venture with Volkswagen broke down last year. "I have trouble believing in this project," says Paris-based market analyst Antoine Nodet. "Jumping from watches to cars lacks credibility." Jean-Marc Buchet, who follows the auto industry for the French brokerage firm Leven, says that "there is clearly a market for a small city car" but wonders if people will pay $10,000 for "a two-seater with no trunk space...