>>REVIEW
THE LIBERTINE
Starring Johnny Depp, Samantha Morton and John Malkovich
Directed by Laurence Dunmore
Opens Friday, March 10
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There are some films that are so bad that you can’t understand why anyone got involved in the first place. But while The Libertine is a boring cinematic mess almost from the get-go, it’s not hard to see why it was made.
Stephen Jeffreys originally penned The Libertine as a stage play starring John Malkovich, so this Restoration drama comes with a built-in history. The story is full of enough mud-caked carousing, revenge and lewd sexual liaisons that, on the page, it couldn’t possibly look as dry as it has become. Plus, the character of the Earl of Rochester seems almost tailor-made for Johnny Depp’s brand of aristocratic swagger. And yet, despite all this, The Libertine is nothing more than a pale retread of several period pieces that have come before it.
It starts promisingly enough with Depp, in full wig (and ego), staring right down the lens with a nonchalant decree, "You will not like me." You see, Rochester fancies himself a womanizer, an intellectual and a poet, but at this point, he’s been exiled by the King (Malkovich) and longs for the hustle and bustle of London. When his ban is lifted, he returns to his stomping grounds to drink with friends, fuck anything in a skirt and spout foul-mouthed one-liners to anyone who will listen. That is until he meets aspiring actress Elizabeth Barry (Samantha Morton). Rochester imposes himself as her acting tutor, but not-so secretly falls in love with her (much to the chagrin of his wife).
When she refuses his advances, Rochester continues his alcoholic spin towards self-destruction, which is ensured by a play he writes about the king that features a chorus of women pleasuring themselves with dildos and a man of short stature actually riding a gigantic cock with wheels.
It is worth noting that despite all the debasement, dirty talk and humping in the streets, there is little to keep this film going. Morton, as usual, is great but her screen time is limited. Malkovich is always good in costume dramas like this, but in The Libertine, his prosthetic nose is so distracting, it’s hard to focus on his performance. That’s a moot point, though, since the film belongs to Depp and for the most part he makes a worthy anti-hero. He’s comfortable with the film’s language and it’s fun to watch him chew on self-loathing monologues and berate the other characters. But, once Rochester makes the transition from drunken stumble to syphilitic limp, The Libertine can’t finish the job.
For all its yelling, drinking and whoring, The Libertine just falls limp. |
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