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Johnny Depp,
Johnny Depp,
John Malkovich,
more...
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Laurence Dunmore,
Laurence Dunmore
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: 
: Weinstein Company
: Drama, Romance, Costume Drama/Period Piece
: 114 min.
: English
: English, Spanish
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A man who lives for pleasure finds his hedonism betrays him in time in this film adaptation of the play by Stephen Jeffreys. The second Earl of Rochester, John Wilmot (Johnny Depp), was a notorious figure in 17th century Europe; well-respected as a poet and author, Wilmot also earned no small degree of gossip for his freewheeling sex life and appetite for decadence. Wilmot was close friends with Charles II (John Malkovich), the powerful and Machiavellian ruler of England, and enjoyed a passionate romance with Elizabeth Barry (Samantha Morton), an actress of note. But Wilmot's seemingly charmed life took a turn for the worse when he wrote a satirical play lampooning his friend Charles II; the monarch failed to see the humor, and exiled the author from Britain. Wilmot found little solace in his relationship with Barry, especially after he contracted syphilis and began drinking heavily as the disease tore away at his body and his mind. The Libertine was produced in part by John Malkovich, who played the role of John Wilmot in a production of Stephen Jeffreys' original play. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
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| Great Performances all around
by MKaliher
June 14, 2009 - 8:31 PM PDT
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1 out of 1 members found this review helpful
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| I have to second Talltale's assessment of this fine film. As depressing as the story is, I have never seen more accomplished performances from Johnny Depp, John Malkovitch, or Samantha Morton--or, for that matter, from supporting players Jack Davenport and Richard Coyle, of the remarkable BBC series Coupling. My only disappointmnet was that Kelly Reilly's role was so small. Let's hope she soon finds a part that gives her room to showcase her talent as well as Russian Dolls did, something on the scale of, say, Lena Headey's breakout role in Aberdeen. (But, please, please, not another slasher flick.) |
| Sex, Death, Dirt and Honesty
by talltale
July 7, 2006 - 11:23 AM PDT
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3 out of 3 members found this review helpful
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If Johnny Depp received an Academy Award nomination for his work in "Pirates of the Caribbean," what in hell happened to the Academy vis-à-vis his performance in THE LIBERTINE? Ah, well: here we have that august body at work once more: can't see the forest for the trees. This much MUCH better-than-you-expect movie actually sports a screenplay that'll have you hanging on every word. You LISTEN for a change and can barely believe what you hear: intelligent writing, even if much of it does have to do with sexual organs and sexual congress. There are also carryings-on about history, politics, economics, the stage, acting, god and syphilis--not necessarily in that order. Depp has surrounded himself with a treasure trove of fine British actors, from Samantha Morton to Clare Higgins, Tom Hollander, Rosamund Pike, Richard Coyle and Francesca Annis (plus the non-British but very game John Malkovich, who co-produced the film).
Yes, it's a dank, muddy and dirty experience--but a generally restorative one--in which Michael Nyman's musical scroe is, as usual, first-rate. That the initial half seems better than the second is probably due to the difficulty of watching our "hero" sink farther into infirmity and decay. (And the performance of Rochester's "masterwork" before the King and French envoy could have been a bit more fun.) Depp is particularly appealing and incisive in his monologs at beginning & end and, though he promises sex of both a straight and gay nature, so little of the latter is seen that one suspects the movie was trimmed for mass appeal (of which, it turns out, there was little). Perhaps we will eventually be treated to the director's cut and see more of that promise fulfilled. Meanwhile, we have a most interesting film about a man who endeavors to be honest, though he has but a nodding acquaintance with what drives him toward that goal. |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 5.70)
57 Votes
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