The Libertine

In 1660, with the return of Charles II (John Malkovich) to the English throne, theater, the visual arts, science and sexual intercourse flourish. Thirteen years later, in the middle of political and economical problems, Charles II asks the return of his friend John Wilmot (Johnny Depp), aka the second Earl of Rochester, from the exile to London. John is a morally corrupt, drunkard and sexually active cynical poet, and the King asks him to prepare a play for the French ambassador to make him pleased. John meets the aspirant actress Elizabeth Barry (Samantha Morton) in the playhouse and decides to make her a great star. He falls in love for her, and she becomes his mistress; during the presentation to the Frenchman, he falls in disgrace in the court. When he was thirty-three years old, he was dying of syphilis associated to alcoholism and he converted to a religious man.

"The Libertine" is the unpleasant story of the repulsive and despicable poet John Wilmot, the Second Earl of Rochester, but magnificently performed by Johnny Depp, who deserved a nomination to this Oscar. The cinematography, art and costume directions, make-up, soundtrack, acting and direction are excellent, but the biography of this man, the way it was presented in this movie, is nasty and disgusting. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "O Libertino" ("The Libertine")

The libertine - What a film... Despite its murkiness, and turgid subject matter, Johnny gives what has to be, his most intricate and breathtaking performance. The first forty-five minutes focuses mainly on John Wilmot's drunken and lecherous ways, and the final forty-five minutes (roughly at around the time that Johnny removes his wig), the sad and awful truth of the life of Rochester kicks in, and from then on, its a cracking story. At the final scene as the light fades along with the haunting words of Rochester's final monologue, I don't think that I would be alone in saying that I was moved to goosebumps and spine chills. Depp is just so intense that frankly, he is beyond brilliant. If the academy don't recognise him this time, I will personally have 'words' with Mr Weinstein! On the whole, an absorbingly different film that deserves all credit.

The Libertine is a central story centered in one debauching, drunk, poet, charismatic, relentless and magnific man called Earl of Rochester.

As it often happened with other great men in the past centuries, Earl is posthumously recognized later as a great personality.

More than excellent acting for all the cast with Johnny Deep equal to his mastery performances, Malkovich, with a small role, equally great, a classical set of the XVII century, the royal court, the local vagrant Inns, brothels and theaters makes this business fly.

The story of a man without moral principles but at the same time intelligent, subtle and with a possession of a genuine libertine archetype, rare for the most common men.

The frantic image of a poet-drunker, embedded with the long-time relationship with prostitutes and a somewhat laziness ambiguous behavior of irrational life against the reason.

He falls in love with a rookie actress, "humiliates" the English King with an uncommon play presented to the french ambassador/representative of the French King and dares to do what it pleases him most: Erotic playwriting...

Excellent movie, that's all... but not for everyone.

The Libertine is definitely not for the faint-hearted or those who are easily offended. For those who love great production values, storytelling and acting, The Libertine will be a treat. It may not be a personal favourite as of yet but I for one found it an exceptionally good film and think it doesn't get enough recognition.

It is a very meticulous-looking film, the photography is wonderfully moody yet sumptuous, the film has a very telling atmosphere and it really feels like you're transported back into the 17th century looking at the costumes and sets. Michael Nyman's score is understated and haunting, fitting beautifully with the atmosphere, though to me it could have used more music from the period which would have given off even more authenticity. The script is funny, thoughtful and packs emotional punch while the story while occasionally dragging is told rivetingly with scenes like the chair scene between Wilmot and Elizabeth, Wilmot's address to parliament and the final scene really lifted by the quality and the acting. Laurence Dunmore directs most admirably, remarkably good for a debut, inexperience occasionally shows but a vast majority of the time it's incredibly well done.

Characters are compelling, especially Wilmot who is very multi-layered, but if there was one thing that was truly exceptional about The Libertine it was the acting. Johnny Depp gives a powerhouse and multi-layered performance that ranks among his best. The dependable Samantha Morton marvels too, John Malkovich does stately and ambiguous in a suitably restrained and regal way while still maintaining interest and Rosamund Pike gives the most heartfelt performance I've ever seen her give(coming from someone who has liked a lot of what she's done), particularly a revelation in the chair scene. The chemistry throughout convinces though that between Depp and Pike came over personally as stronger than that between him and Morton.

All in all, a fine film if not for everybody and really deserves much more praise than it gets. 9/10 Bethany Cox

One must see this film with a strong warning. It will repel you. Appropriately Johnny Depp does that in the opening scene, and that should suffice, but it doesn't prepare you for what is coming: a film that rivals the stylistic choices we have seen before in movies like "From Hell", experiences that were disturbing and annoying at the same time but we were also unable to stop watching.

There are some aspects of this film that will have people squirming in their seats, mainly its subject matter. It is very difficult to explore and discuss the dark side of the underbelly of society. It is impressive that there are studios that still try to take chances. In particular, it is remarkable that there are actors that are willing to dive in and portray characters that appear to have absolutely no redeeming qualities. Johnny Depp is a chameleon, a man who transforms himself into this decadent aristocrat, who probably recreates a human being that others would rather not even mention. There are scenes in this film that are astonishing because of their angle and because of the powerful interactions between two of the world's best performers. Whenever Depp and Samantha Morton, as his actress/protégée/lover are on the screen, one can feel the heat and passion they generate. It is also remarkable how good John Malkovich is in this film. There is some very fine acting here, and it should be recognized and honored accordingly.

It will probably be ignored because it is very hard to appreciate it. The film is shot in very dark, foggy, and almost impenetrable shads,an artistic choice that impairs our ability to truly take in what is happening in some of the scenes. It is an understandable move because it is after all, the recreation of one of humanity's darkest times. It is a courageous work of art, and one that demands multiple viewings. It is by no means perfect, but it is admirable, and it is as good as it can be because of Johnny Depp's remarkable turn. We can truly hope he keeps getting better and better.