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Rating:  - Liberate Me From Ever Seeing "The Libertine" Again
Honestly, I gave up watching this after the first 30 minutes because it didn't spark my interest. Malkovich's affected speech is always a turn-off in a film and Depp's arch overacting and insider winking is self-indulgent. Let me watch a beautifully executed BBC Masterpiece Theater production any day. Those films are about the story, period, costumes, characters, not the prancing performers.
Unless you are a devoted Depp/Malkovich fanatic and must see every thing they have ever done -- my suggestion -- skip it. Do not watch this unless you wish to hear vile and disgusting language come out of Depp's mouth and "innocent" face. There are few double entendres -- he says filthy words right out loud.
I had a professor when I studied theater, John Newman, who suggested that you know when you are seeing something worthwhile when you forget the discomfort of your seat and everything around you and you are riveted by what you are seeing and experiencing. What I have written is my seat of the pants review of "The Libertine."
Rating:  - Didn't like it
But I'm not envious, so I guess I'm stupid --- and will get to like it in 5 years time. However, I doubt both. Not liking it doesn't mean I wasn't impressed, and it was interesting to be given some insight into the miserable life of John Wilmot, whose writings and other doings had not attracted me greatly in the past. A person somewhat resembling the divine Marquis de Sade, the pair of them strike me as self-haters and life-haters. Although I see their point, there's no percentage to it: since we're here, we might as well make the best of it and try to be pleasant to each other, as well as ourselves. Life's a jest and all things show it, so let's have a laugh now and then. What this film demonstrated is that there was precious little humour or good-nature in the debauched and dissolute life-style surrounding Charles II: it was basically depressing and vacuous. Was that what Rochester was protesting against? Or was he merely lashing back at his prim and proper mum? The Cavaliers had been wrong, but wromantic; and the Puritans had been right, but repulsive. The Restoration, however, is shown here as both unromantic, because it totally lacked any sense of honour, and also poxily repulsive. Yes, the film was creatively shot, rather well-acted, and the script makes you think. The Director's commentary well communicates the thought behind the product. I can't give it less than 4 stars, but I still didn't like it. Also, I deeply doubt that Charles II and his cronies, whatever else they may have done, used the f word every other sentence.
Rating: - One of the finest Johnny Depp's performances
Who could resist the movie with cast consisting of: Johnny Depp, Samantha Morton and John Malkovich? These actors exhude style, beauty and charisma. This is a piece of beautifully crafted dialogue -- definitely not movie for the masses. It mixes wit, philosophy and charm all at once. It's tortured main protagonist John Wilmot, second Earl of Rochester (played by Johnny Depp) is mesmerizing. One of those characters that one loves to hate. Depp's physical transformation is fantastic too. How is it that Nicole Kidman gets an Oscar for her nose and he does not get one for his? Wonderful, wonderful film - if you like smart movies - this is the one for you.
Rating:  - For open eyes and open hearts only.........
I just watched The Libertine on Direct TV last night and have logged on to buy myself a copy. Suble, complex and nuanced in script, direction and performance. At the beginning our main character played by Depp says we will not like him in the opening monologue, and that as we watch, we shall like him less.
At the end perhaps that is so, but for me at least, liking him became irrelevant. Instead, I was left with respect -- for a life imperfectly led in the extreme yet still punctuated throughout with more than a few flashes of brilliance, for the struggle to live with integrity and authenticity as the real impulse behind so much of the debauch, and for the self-declared moment of redemption near the end, a highly personal redemption that can only be bequeathed by oneself upon oneself and never by another, all underscoring the link between Libertine and Liberty, both words rooted etymologically in the Latin "libertus" = "free".
The film left me deeply, deeply moved, and I highly recommend it.
Rating: - BRAVO JOHNNY DEPP THE BEST ROLE IN THE LIBERTINE
well saw the movie it was ammazing, in the first dialog he sounded so dark and mysterious which i really liked, but through out the movie the history behind all the maturness for adults well quite interesting. JOHNNY DEPP IS TRULLY MY BIGGEST FAN EVER. i wanna see every movie and have every movie. I already got 7. the play in the movie was wonderful
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