The Libertine Review

[missdepp]

John Wilmot was a complex, brilliant man. Having read about him, and having read his poetry, I was not certain a film about him could be done that portrayed those points in any meaningful way. The Libertine shows Wilmot for what he was, a man of many personalities, interests, and indulgences.

When the story begins, after a marvelous prologue warning the audience not to like him, Wilmot is for the most part still well. He returns after once again being banned from his precious city, having missed all of the good plays. You will discover later just how important a play is to him. He carouses with his friends, coming up with excellent, extemporaneous lines of verse at their insistence.

The heart of the film is struck when he enters the theater and witnesses the dismal failure of a newcomer to the stage. He sees in this woman a potential for taking the theater in an exciting new direction of realism and becomes determined to work with her, to have her become the diamond in the crown of London's theater.

At the same event, the King s Wilmot back and gives him a service to perform. It is quite apparent that Wilmot has no love for the King nor his assigned task. How little regard the Earl has for said King and task is the other major thread of the story. Much of The Libertine is spent in taking us along with the Earl as he proves his wit is far exceeds the determination of the monarch to manipulate.

All the while, the Earl himself is dying. He has lived his life in his own fashion, always exceeding in every instance. Disgrace does not deter him; banishment does not deter him. To live is to go too far, and that is Wilmot's rule.

The characters surrounding Wilmot are engrossing. From the servant, Allcock (who does his best to prove his is all-cock) to the favored whore to the less than enthusiastic actor who turns down the offered role, everyone is either there to point the way to overindulgence or to run from it. Banned yet again from London, Wilmot shows us his own expertise as actor as he turns quack physician Dr. Bendo. The good doctor's cures are embodied by urine and fornication.

Finally Bendo is exposed to be none other than Rochester and brought back yet again to be told by the King that to be ignored is the only solution. Wilmot is returned to his country home to die. He flails at death, and in a masterful scene shows us that of which he is made. He drags his useless body, made up face, and false nose into the House of Lords on crutches. He offers a speech to save the line of succession that finally exposes what he could have been all along. You see at last fully what his talents were and how he has wasted them on his life of surfeit.

And finally you see him die. He has taken the short journey from brilliant, scurrilous profligate to corpse. He accepts the angels dancing on pin which he's always fought. Watching, you long for him to be young and well again to continue his journey.

While the film I saw was a work-in-progress, you could see a masterful story there. A little work on the soundtrack, a snip here or there of footage and this will be a film everyone will want to see and discuss.

The performances are magnificent. Johnny Depp has never played a role like this before, and you will be awe struck by his ability. John Malkovitch is stately and restrained. Samantha Morton does not let you forget that her purpose is to succeed upon the stage, and not in the bedroom. The music seems strange at first, then insinuates itself into the piece until nothing else would serve.

from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375920/

[mrsdepp]

sounds awesomeful...sadly, i hafta wait for the dvd...*sigh*