"The Libertine" takes place during the reign of England's Charles II, in movie terms at the same time as "Restoration" and "Stage Beauty". But this far darker and literally muddier view of the impact of the fall of the Puritains on culture and, like "The Crucible," is intended less to be an historical pageant than to defend artistic and sexual freedom in the late 20th century. Syphilis seems to stand in for AIDS, a point that gets confused at the end.
Adapting his own play, Stephen Jeffreys emphasizes its theatrical origins with extensive defenses of the role of the theater. Johnny Depp as the titular nicknamed Earl of Rochester, who is very much not the fop in extensive wigs, is a witty, sexy, seductive Oscar Wilde type with bon mots and intellectual vulgarisms.
So it's a bit disappointing that the Earl's king-commissioned piece de resistance is more like a tableau by Karen Finley crossed with the Open Theater by Caligula than as lasting literature which Wilde did produce while also making his life his art and artistic statement. Maybe the Earl was making the point that in a licentious and jaded Gilded Age one has to go to extremes for political protest. His articulate but disease-wracked defense of the king at the House of Lords is moving to show that politics itself is theater, but seems a sad finale for a broken man, if I'm interpreting it correctly.
Depp is the center of attention, but this could be promoted as Samantha Morton Talks! While she has been captivating in pantomimes or virtually nonverbal, suffering roles in "Sweet and Lowdown," "Code 46," "Morvern Callar," "In America" and "Minority Report," here she is womanly and feisty as the Earl's protégé. Certainly this is her first strong woman with a lot of beautiful hair.
So it's ironic that Depp actually has less chemistry on screen with her than with Rupert Friend, playing his third released pretty hunk role of the year after "Pride & Prejudice" and "Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont".
There are several other cast members from "P & P" who get to fully unleash other sides of their talents, such as Tom Hollander and Rosamund Pike as the Earl's loyal wife (and there's an implication at the end that the family's bitterness may have resulted in destruction of his literary legacy). Claire Higgins is marvelous as a cynical theater manager. John Malkovich is the best Charles II on screen yet, making him a real man and politician despite the costumes.
The location shooting on English estates is beautiful. Either it was a very rainy season or mud was intentionally shipped in for realism. The shadowy interiors authentically recreate a pre-electric environment.
While Michael Nyman's music doesn't seem to make any period effort, it is beautiful.
There's extensive memorial tributes in the closing credits, including to Marlon Brando and Hunter S. Thompson.
Adapting his own play, Stephen Jeffreys emphasizes its theatrical origins with extensive defenses of the role of the theater. Johnny Depp as the titular nicknamed Earl of Rochester, who is very much not the fop in extensive wigs, is a witty, sexy, seductive Oscar Wilde type with bon mots and intellectual vulgarisms.
So it's a bit disappointing that the Earl's king-commissioned piece de resistance is more like a tableau by Karen Finley crossed with the Open Theater by Caligula than as lasting literature which Wilde did produce while also making his life his art and artistic statement. Maybe the Earl was making the point that in a licentious and jaded Gilded Age one has to go to extremes for political protest. His articulate but disease-wracked defense of the king at the House of Lords is moving to show that politics itself is theater, but seems a sad finale for a broken man, if I'm interpreting it correctly.
Depp is the center of attention, but this could be promoted as Samantha Morton Talks! While she has been captivating in pantomimes or virtually nonverbal, suffering roles in "Sweet and Lowdown," "Code 46," "Morvern Callar," "In America" and "Minority Report," here she is womanly and feisty as the Earl's protégé. Certainly this is her first strong woman with a lot of beautiful hair.
So it's ironic that Depp actually has less chemistry on screen with her than with Rupert Friend, playing his third released pretty hunk role of the year after "Pride & Prejudice" and "Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont".
There are several other cast members from "P & P" who get to fully unleash other sides of their talents, such as Tom Hollander and Rosamund Pike as the Earl's loyal wife (and there's an implication at the end that the family's bitterness may have resulted in destruction of his literary legacy). Claire Higgins is marvelous as a cynical theater manager. John Malkovich is the best Charles II on screen yet, making him a real man and politician despite the costumes.
The location shooting on English estates is beautiful. Either it was a very rainy season or mud was intentionally shipped in for realism. The shadowy interiors authentically recreate a pre-electric environment.
While Michael Nyman's music doesn't seem to make any period effort, it is beautiful.
There's extensive memorial tributes in the closing credits, including to Marlon Brando and Hunter S. Thompson.