The king and queen of the fairies are fighting. King Oberon (Everett) is jealous, Queen Titania (Pfeiffer) is angry. Nothing is quite right in the woods. Enter Bottom (Kline) and friends, to rehearse a play they hope to perform for the duke. Oberon wants to make a fool of his queen, and affable, lovable, foolish Bottom is the perfect other butt of the joke. (Ouch! Sorry.) So, after a sprinkling of fairy dust, whom does Titania find herself adoring?

But Bottom (sorry again) is- well-different, because of more fairy mischief. It is truly delightful to see the gorgeous Titania fall helplessly in love with a man who now looks remarkably like an ass.

That's just one subplot among many. Errors result in the wrong victim, the wrong beloved, the wrong-well, you know Shakespeare. Oberon's sidekick, Puck (Tucci), is good-hearted, with a streak of whimsy that makes his discovery of the modern nineteenth century bicycle a joy to behold.

If the setting is a little confused-the Tuscan locale belies references to Athens, and costumes and technology vary from mid-eighteenth to late-nineteenth century-the scenery is lush beyond dreams. The lines, almost the Bard's own, are at once subtle and hilarious. The acting is overdone when it needs to be and natural when it doesn't. Everyone falls in love and pays for it, but in the end [Is that another subtle Bottom reference? - Ed.]- well, come along with an open heart, and see for yourself.

Catherine McCormack (Braveheart) plays Veronica Franco, a beautiful woman in the 16th Century. She is in love with Marco Venier (Sewell), an equally attractive man from the same period. Venice plays a beautiful romantic backdrop. Unfortunately, Veronica is below Marco in station, and as such they can never be married. With growing hardship Veronica is forced to become a courtesan to the aristocracy. This provides her the means to rise above her position in society, and claim a destiny of her own.

The true dramatic potential of the script (Veronica's life as a courtesan) is for the most part glossed over in favour of the 'Mills & Boon' romance. McCormack is suitably beautiful and spirited, while Sewell makes a good romantic hero. However the script and direction are never in danger of escaping the boundaries of soppy.

If you're in the mood for romance, and aren't feeling particularly critical, then A Destiny Of Her Own does offer some fun moments, along with a ludicrous ending, to enjoy.