WEBmikey: The Libertine : 3 of 5

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The Libertine : 3 of 5
3.18.2006 9:43 PM \| Link	I guess I'm a little out of the loop on art films lately, since I hadn't heard of this movie until my pal Ernesto asked me to go. The Libertine is a period piece set in muddy old England in the 1600s, following the later years of the semi-famous John Wilmot, the Second Earl of Rochester (Wilmot was indeed a colorful historical figure, whose bawdy poetry is still studied). Johnny Depp, continuing his feat of choosing the most bizarre roles for his career, plays Wilmot, and definitely plays him well - even though it's "funny" to see someone drunk all the time, cheating on his poor wife every night, and insulting royalty left and right, he's ultimately a tragic character that you can't help but feel sorry for, hate, and enjoy at the same time. His main redeeming action is tutoring a budding actress until she becomes the star of the stage (played by the fantastic Samantha Morton), but even she must turn him away as he meets his bitter end, death by syphilis. The film is shot using "modern" techniques such as long spinning shots, series of tons of rack focus changes (more than I had ever seen before in a single scene), and even strange hand-held moments, but lit "authentically" - the film definitely has that low-light grain throughout, since the whole lighting plan seems to have been candles (but I actually enjoyed the effect). Even though you could call this a "repulsive" film, it's definitely well made and made me emotional for the characters, so I would recommended it if you're looking for a serious film. Labels: movies


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