Word: lover
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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...
...legend herself, Faye Dunaway as Jack's wife, Marilyn, seems to have tapped into a fountain of youth. As Jack's libido and joie de vivre increase via the vicarious thrills of Don Juan's tales, Jack begins to rekindle romance with his startled wife. Dunaway is an uneasy lover, awkward in responding to his advances, but accepts his kisses with faint detachment. Despite their combined monumental talents, Dunaway and Brandc have trouble settling into a credible domestic arrangement. But as botched as their love scenes may be, they are infinitely more interesting than the purple-prose narration...
Dunaway is considerably more relaxed than in recent roles (noteably as Depp's lover in the well-intentioned "Arizona Dream" in 1994). Brando, too, seems content to let the film pass him by, with only a snapshot of him circa "On the Waterfront" to suggest his former power...
Leven treats his potentially satirical material with a rare light hand when someone refers to the young lover as Casanova. With his fiery temper, Don Juan becomes incensed. Unfortunately, both Leven and Depp take their mission too seriously to create more of these moments...
Depp chooses his words and poses carefully, but manages to be convincing only as a particularly promiscuous fantasy lover with all the depth of a glistening Harlequin-novel cover man. His star-power and glamour nearly vanquish his acting skills in a throwback to his "21 Jump Street" days as a brooding teen heartthrob. The camera, too, is seduced, almost comically drawn ever-closer to his face, even when he tries to hide in the depths of his knit brows during particularly emotional moments...