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The Libertine (2004)
Rate:
6
Viewed:
8/07, 7/17
8/07:
The size of the words during the opening credits of The Libertine was so damn small that I could barely read them
on my 40" TV screen.
Ridiculous. Anyway, Johnny Depp gives an unusual performance as John Wilmot, second Earl of Rochester, but once again, fails to
achieve depth. It's always been Johnny Depp's biggest flaw, but I still enjoy his stuff, regardless.
The introduction is fantastic, and I love how the movie ends, especially when John Wilmot slowly faded out as he asked, "Do
you like me now? Do you...like me now?" Although the content is vulgar and tries hard to be witty, the screenplay is
well-penned. Of course, I can be fooled into thinking the writer, Stephen Jeffreys, plucked out some highly
recognizable fancy words while playing Scrabble.
Although Johnny Depp is the show, the cast, except for John Malkovich, can never keep up, lagging behind in terms
of naturalness, fluidity, and being in character. John Wilmot warned me from the outset that I might not like him. Well,
to be frank with you, it's impossible to dislike Johnny Depp which probably explains why the film didn't ultimately work. If
it was Tim Roth instead, then sure.
All in all, The Libertine has the feel of a 17th-18th century European novel and showcases another good Johnny Depp
performance but falls short in substance and depth.
7/17:
My rating remains the same for The Libertine.
Johnny Depp gives an outstanding performance, and this is an arena where he belongs: quirky independent pictures. His
introduction and finale are fantastic. However, the movie isn't great, and the dialogue is often incoherent and
purposeless. There's a lot of emphasis on the vulgar, undermining credibility. Yet the cinematography is
excellent by taking advantage of the heavy candle-lighting à la Barry Lyndon.
Instead of focusing on the story, I like to think of it as a "feeling" picture. It's where Johnny Depp excels the most. By the
way, congratulations to him for being awarded the "Most Offensive Male Character" by Women Film Critics Circle Awards. He certainly
deserved it despite his claims of wanting to be a female. Of the cast, only John Malkovich rises to the occasion.
Everybody else is merely okay.
Among Brian De Palma's favorite screen techniques is putting together two half strips as one to make sure both actors are
consistently in focus without regard to distance. The Libertine rejects it by taking advantage of the zoom effect
between two players. It's an interesting try which mostly succeeds.
All in all, Johnny Depp has grown a lot as an actor over the years, and The Libertine is a good measure of his progress
compared to his early stuff.