
Is He Really Don Juan?
Review created: 09/08/07(updated 09/09/07)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Johnny Depp is a tour de force in this movie about a psychiatric patient who claims to be Don Juan--only Don Juan De Marco because his father was Tony De Marco, the Dance King of Astoria (near New York City). He tells his story in the movie to his psychiatrist, Dr. Mickler (Marlon Brando), and as it unfolds it is so unbelievable that it has to be made up. Or does it?
Everyone is affected by this charismatic patient. The nurses, orderlies, and Mickler himself develop a whole new lease on life. It has become more romantic for all of them. Especially Dr. Mickler who now dazzles his wife Marilyn (Faye Dunaway) with a new sex drive with lots of compliments and romantic foreplay. But could Don Juan's story be true?
A hint comes at the beginning of the movie, when Don Juan walks into a restaurant and completely seduces a restaurant patron who at first laughs at his costume and tries to get rid of him. That, Don Juan, says is his last conquest before he kills himself. And that suicide attempt is how he ends up in the psychiatric hospital in Queens.
A synopsis of the Don Juan's story is this. His mother, a Mexican, met his father, an Italian pharmaceutical salesman, in Mexico--a love at first sight situation. When Don Juan is born, he is instantly a lover. He gets in trouble with his tutor, Dona Julia, and her husband kills Don Juan's father. Don Juan kills the husband. Both Dona Julia and Mrs. De Marco become nuns. Don Juan is sent on a boat to Cadiz, Spain, but ends up in Arabia somewhere. He becomes a lover to the sultan's wife and is kept with the harem the rest of the time. Therefore, he is with 1501 women all night. He romances all of them. Finally, he escapes and is washed ashore on the island of Eros, where he meets his true love, Dona Ana. She, however, finds out how many previous lovers he has had and spurns him.
This is not a serious movie but it is not a slapstick comedy either. You will laugh out loud at times but cannot help having its spell cast on you too. Depp is fantastic in all of his outrageous roles and does not disappoint here either. Marlon Brando, in one of his final roles, is great as the psychiatrist Dr. Mickler. It is especially funny when you see him trying to get in shape on a weight bench. Faye Dunaway (Marilyn Mickler)has a supporting role but looks better than I have seen her in a long time and plays the psychiatrist's wife well. She is amazed at the changes in her husband and gets swept away at the end.
Finally, the music is great. This is the movie where Bryan Adams' song, "Do You Really Know How to Love a Woman" was introduced. Plus there is a lot of Mexican guitar music.
The whole movie will put you in a great mood. You will watch it over and over again to get all the characters straight. And you will laugh the second and third time as well.
Review ID: 10000000004357506

Thank you for voting. If your vote meets our
guidelines, it will be posted within 24 hours.
You cannot vote on the helpfulness of a review you wrote.
Your request cannot be processed at this time. Please try again later.