... and by all accounts, there were as expected, plenty of 'groupies' in tow...
Depp plays the role with a contemptuous sneer never far from his lips and - it is heavily suggested - a restless hand never far from his crotch. We are invited to wallow in the muck and grime of his time as the central figure never wavers from the glaring possibility of scandalising someone. "You won't like me" is the man's opening boast, and the rest of the film chronicles his studious attempts to live up to that promise.
One possible complaint about the film from an outsiders perspective might be that you probably need to have researched the history it covers yourself first to get the most out of it, but if you do possess the background knowledge, then I think it's a fascinating and near-flawless recreation of that period in time.
I do also think that his (BI)sexuality should have been explored better, giving equal weight to his trysts with either sex, but what can you do when the marketing wimps will do their best to sell a false image of the work as a whole?! The thought of homosexual encounters would scare off a good portion of unwitting audience members, but unfortunately "Hollywood scared of unabashed gayness!" should hardly be news to anyone who knows how the industry works...
Respect should be accorded to the first time director for being trusted with such an established cast and using them well. The constant lighting by candle is atmospheric and gives the film a uniquely dingy look. If indeed the main aim was to have me appalled by the lead character, then this must be charted as a failure, because I still like the man despite everything. I've ALWAYS liked John Wilmot. For newcomers who hold no firm opinion either way, however, it's a suitable initiation into his debauched world. If it gets just one curious soul interested in looking at his poetry after they've watched, then its very existence is a noble one. At a loss for how to close, I choose to end this personal comment in the manner of a fitting tribute: by raising a glass and cocking my middle finger.
Depp plays the role with a contemptuous sneer never far from his lips and - it is heavily suggested - a restless hand never far from his crotch. We are invited to wallow in the muck and grime of his time as the central figure never wavers from the glaring possibility of scandalising someone. "You won't like me" is the man's opening boast, and the rest of the film chronicles his studious attempts to live up to that promise.
One possible complaint about the film from an outsiders perspective might be that you probably need to have researched the history it covers yourself first to get the most out of it, but if you do possess the background knowledge, then I think it's a fascinating and near-flawless recreation of that period in time.
I do also think that his (BI)sexuality should have been explored better, giving equal weight to his trysts with either sex, but what can you do when the marketing wimps will do their best to sell a false image of the work as a whole?! The thought of homosexual encounters would scare off a good portion of unwitting audience members, but unfortunately "Hollywood scared of unabashed gayness!" should hardly be news to anyone who knows how the industry works...
Respect should be accorded to the first time director for being trusted with such an established cast and using them well. The constant lighting by candle is atmospheric and gives the film a uniquely dingy look. If indeed the main aim was to have me appalled by the lead character, then this must be charted as a failure, because I still like the man despite everything. I've ALWAYS liked John Wilmot. For newcomers who hold no firm opinion either way, however, it's a suitable initiation into his debauched world. If it gets just one curious soul interested in looking at his poetry after they've watched, then its very existence is a noble one. At a loss for how to close, I choose to end this personal comment in the manner of a fitting tribute: by raising a glass and cocking my middle finger.