THE STORY: "Casanova" by Matt Fraction (W) and Gabriel Bá (A) - Image Comics
WHAT IT'S ABOUT: The title hero, Casanova Quinn, is part James Bond, a little bit Doctor Who and a dash of Buckaroo Banzai. He's an alpha male super-spy for hire with with a dad out to kill him and beautiful lady robots around every corner. His first volume of adventures in "Casanova: Luxuria" smacks of Nick Fury bravado and Terry Gilliam-style absurdity.
His father Cornelius, the ultimate authority figure, runs a planetwide organization called E.M.P.I.R.E. that enforces world peace with a mighty fist. Casanova remains the persist rebel, but transdimensional hijinx and his father's nemesis, a villain named Newman Xeno, pull him into an adventure involving alternate versions of himself and deranged sci-fi plans.
WHY IT WORKS: Casanova is a textbook of male wish fulfillment, punching alien creatures through the face and constantly navigating his life around gorgeous women. The "Doctor Who"-esque plot twists and characters and the silly atmosphere of Fraction's world is fast-paced enough to keep a new audience interested and jolted scene to scene. Furthermore, Casanova himself is a well sculpted he-babe with romantic charm, so there's eye candy of the male gender as well.
WHY IT DOESN'T: Explaining the movie "Brazil" to someone is a far less effective means of persuasion than sitting someone down to watch it. And much like the world of "Brazil," Casanova's universe is a tightly pulled knot of sci-fi oddities and surreal moments. In fact, it's so self aware of its genres' insanities at times that it becomes a very dense story for unfamiliar readers to penetrate, and that's a big mark against it for mainstream theater crowds.
WHAT TO DO: Terry Gilliam successfully got "Brazil" and "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" off the ground, and so too could a "Casanova" film be made if someone has the wherewithal. Gilliam would be my number one pick to tackle the story, but veteran "Doctor Who" episode director Graeme Harper might be a worthy pick as well.
If Javier Bardem were 20 years younger, he might be perfect for the role of Cassanova, but hey, "MADtv" cast member Ike Barinholtz who played a Javier Bardem look-a-like in last year's "Disaster Movie" might be able to pull off the look and tone with some longer, darker hair.
CLOSING ARGUMENT: A well-done "Casanova" film might be destined to become a post-launch DVD cult classic, but the premise of erecting Fraction and Bá's vision on the big screen would be a creative odyssey for all involved—the likes of which Hollywood rarely sees.
Would you like to see a brave filmmaker take a stab at "Casanova"? Have you checked out the comics? Share your own thoughts in the comment section below.