Mad Love

Jealous woman and queen, that's a deadly combination; an interesting historical figure as Joan of Castille certainly deserved her own film. The film is not a lavish spectacle, rather, the filmmakers focused on Johanna's feelings and behaviour through a conversational level, her morbid obsession with Philip I the Magnificent, which put her duties as monarch on the back burner, to the detriment of the country. Her jealousy is the source of many rewarding moments for the audience, and they make the two hours pass like water. I would like to highlight the really great Pilar Lopez de Ayala in the title role, and the "flawless male" (words a female friend) Daniel Liotta as Filip will catch the eye of many female viewers (I have it confirmed). (05/25/2006)

In my opinion, this is a highly overrated film. It is a very conventionally shot costume film with boring dialogues, which only uses historical settings for emotional manipulation. The film is nowhere near the level of classic Angelique or even Queen Margot. The script and direction are based on the Romanticism style of the 19th century (everything is there, including the nationalist charge of defending the homeland against foreigners). However, it lacks the spice of Romanticism - duels, intrigues, passions. The dialogues are incredibly artificial and pathetic. I can even overlook the fact that they do not correspond to the thinking of that time, because this flaw applies to the vast majority of so-called "historical" dramas, not to mention comedies. Overall impression: 30%. (02/17/2008)