Archive for March, 2006
Cinema: The Libertine (2004)
I’d been looking forward to The Libertine (Laurence Dunmore) for well over a year. It opened last Friday and it was kind of boring.
It’s the story of the Earl of Rochester, who is an accomplished playright as well as a promiscuous lush. It is the late 1660’s and Depp, the said Earl, is having some problems with his wife. Well, his problem is that he’s begun a sort of affair with a potentially good actress. Some other problems arise when King Charles II (John Malkovich) commissions a play from him, which Rochester decides is really a request to exploit him and the entire English monarchy. A bunch of other things happen, too: Rochester gets sick, his wife yells at him and King Charles II doesn’t like the play.
Great performances, especially from Depp (as usual). There are a few exceptional stand-out scenes, but this film just didn’t grab me. I liked the look of it - it was very dark and I loved the camera work. I also tend to enjoy period pieces. But it was really slow and the story wasn’t even really that interesting. It was pretty sexual, as well, which is weird to see in a Depp film again after all of his PG outings as of late. After all I’d read about it, The Libertine was kind of a let-down. That being said, I don’t regret seeing it - I just wouldn’t necessarily recommend it.
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