Movies

Johnny Depp is cool, clever and calculating as John Wilmont, the Earl of Rochester. The celebrated and decadent poet, playwright and rake of notoriety is banished in 17th century London after writing a scandalous play mocking King Charles II(John Malkovich), who actually commissioned the play to impress a visiting French dignitary. In spite of his tedious marriage to Elizabeth Malet(Rosamund Pike), the salacious Earl falls in love with the struggling actress Mrs. Barry(Samantha Morton). Redemption on his own terms would be unsuccessful as his non-stop drinking and whore-mongering would accelerate Wilmont's downfall.THE LIBERTINE in based on the Stephen Jeffrey play and is strikingly directed by Laurence Dunmore. I still profess that Depp is the DeNiro of his generation. Also featured are: Johnny Vegas, Richard Coyle, Rupert Friend, Paul Ritter and Francesca Annis.

The cast is amazingly brilliant. The direction was raw and honest-- no matter the subject. The play on which the screenplay is based is a great work in and of itself which gave me a cause to be rather expectant of the movie's release. Depp, Pike, Morton, Malkovich (who originated the lead role on the stage) and the supporting cast were all wonderful. The disappointment came with the unfolding of events, with the editing choices, and the decisions to cut and paste so roughly that ultimately resulted in a rushed story line and a confused audience. What had the potential for immense cinematic greatness was defeated by pace and form. Very disappointing, but 5 out of 10 simply for the beautiful cinematography and outstanding performance by the cast.

The earl of Rochester says in a prologue, that you will not like him, and surely we won't. He really has a libertine's life, drinking too much and having too much sex with other people than his wife. And he is punished in a way, that I should not tell you about.Johnny Depp is making a great performance, being bored, bored, bored and having this hatred for life. Both the way he's having it and the way other's do. Out of his punishment, he comes to some insight, but it's a little too obvious. As a spectator, you don't have to think much for yourself; the film makers do that instead.Still it's a bit touching and if you decide to see this as a moral tale, go ahead. But it's hard to like the earl, whatever you decide.