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All Movie Info
Starring:
Johnny Depp, Samantha Morton, John Malkovich, Rosamund Pike, Tom Hollander, Johnny Vegas, Jack Davenport, Francesca Annis, Kelly Reilly, Richard Coyle, Richard Coyle, Claire Higgins
Directed By:
Laurence Dunmore
Written By:
Stephen Jeffreys
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The Libertine (2006)
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Movie Review by Jarrod 
December 31st, 2006
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John Wilmot tells us at the beginning of the Libertine that we will not like him, and he is certainly right about that. He is a destestable pervert, a selfish and insolent womanizer, a drunkard, rebellious and profane simply because he enjoys it and because he thrives on controversy. In many ways, he is like the Marquis de Sade of Quills, but actually undergoes change, both physically and spiritually. Syphilis (or some other venereal disease) eats away at his body, making him blind, unable to walk, pale, covered in lesions, all a consequence of his reckless behavior. Indeed, it is difficult to feel sympathy for him, even when he is in this miserable state. The Libertine features Johnny Depp in one of his finer performances, so delightful and witty, despite the odious nature of his character. It proves beyond doubt that he is an actor of tremendous versatility.
Malkovich is terrific as Charles II, the sneering monarch, who simultaneously loathes and loves Wilmot, and wants to use his literary genius to memorialize his reign and bolster his reputation. Morton, mostly silent in Minority Report, now has the chance to play something she is not, an untalented actress, who, through the miracle of Wilmot's intervention, is transformed into a first-rate celebrity. Morton has the right balance of pride and vulnerability, crucial for a character that is hopelessly infatuated with Wilmot, but true enough to herself to resist any thoughts of matrimony or permanent courtship. The Libertine is both funny and sad, romantic and repulsive.
It perfectly visualizes 17th century London as a dirty, filthy cesspool, where sexual immorality closely accompanies bad hygeine. In fact, it may possess the most authentic setting of any movie in recent memory, as there are no visual missteps or anachronisms to be found. If I had a complaint, it would be that Wilmot's change of heart feels obligatory, and overly dramatic, as he renounces atheism, and actually responds to the emotions of his suprisingly devoted wife, who stays loyal to him despite his philandering, drinking, and even forthright scorn of her. Momentum lags at times, but gloriously entertaining moments (like the sheer vulgarity of the play Wilmot writes in the king's honor, with a large wooden dildo showing up on stage) abound.
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