The Worst Film Ever

Just perfect...

As Good As It Gets

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Continuing my plan to watch every Johnny Depp movie in order, I come to The Libertine.The irony of the Weinstein Company producing a movie about a vile man who did whatever he pleases with whom ever he pleased, and debauched his way to an early grave is not lost in 2018.The movie opens with the "You will not like me," scene. "You will not like me now, and you will like me a good deal less as we go on." There is considerably more to it than in the trailer and it sets the tone. This is not a glamorised period drama by Hollywood, it is a gritty, realistic, uncomfortable to view triumph.In his directorial debut, Laurence Dunmore (In the only movie he directed) shot every frame himself. It was shot almost entirely with a hand-held camera. The two most notable shots with a fixed camera are the two panoramas of the interior of the theater, which was intentional. Also, most of the film was lit using candles, rather than conventional movie lights. John Malkovich had previously worked with Dunmore on a commercial and he recommended him to the producers.Depp is in almost every scene, and for me should have had his third Oscar nomination. He is fascinating to watch, putting you through a range of emotions!! You love him/You hate him!! You are repulsed by him/You feel sorry for him!! You are drawn to him almost against your will, as it does not make a single attempt to make him likeable. God I miss this actor. It's this Depp, who is one of the best actors of his generation. John Malkovich, Rosamund Pike, Samantha Morton, Paul Ritter and Depp's Pirates co stars Tom Hollander and Jack Davenport are all good in their supporting roles. It is not without its faults, Depp has better chemistry with Pike than he does Morton, possibly the two roles should have been switched. It could use some fine tuning and trimming here and there, and since this is 17th century England and its filthiest, dirtiest, grubbiest and most perverse it's not going to be for everyone. This movie is still on my mind a day later. The Libertine was filmed in 2004, but sat on the studio shelf for two years, before it received a limited release where it grossed $4 million at the domestic box office, to end Depp's run of 7 successive movies (the longest of his career) that landed a spot on the 100 highest grossers of the year.

One of the sexiest films Depp has ever been in... erotic overtones are strong with this one. Based on the last years of John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester and his Libertine ways of life.Wilmot is not just a Libertine but an artist, writer, produces plays and starts falling in love with his new plain Jane leading actress.Recommend to watch The Man Who Cried or Don Juan DeMarco for a great night of some serious Johnny Depp films.8.5/10

Although its dour tone might put off a lot of viewers, Johnny Depp gives an awards-worthy performance as the 2nd Earl of Rochester, John Wilmot, one of the most controversial figures in British history. The film is based on a stage play by Stephen Jeffreys and focuses on the last years of Wilmot's life as he goes from being one of Britain's most celebrated poets and playwrights to practically drinking himself to death, all while being one of the most unsavory and unlikeable people I've ever seen portrayed on screen.I must give Johnny Depp credit because he turned in one of his finest performances. Even though his penchant for dressing up and putting on an accent in almost every movie he's done recently has reached the point of self-parody, it feels more natural and fresh here. However, the rest of the cast is no slouch either. John Malkovich gives a restrained performance as Charles II (reprising his stage role) and Samantha Morton also does well as Elizabeth Barry, an actress who Wilmot tutors then has an affair with. Also making appearances are Jack Davenport (Jack Sparrow's nemesis in Pirates of the Caribbean) as one of his friends, and Rosamund Pike as his wife, Elizabeth Malet. Obviously, now, Rosamund Pike has come into her own as an actress with GONE GIRL, but her supporting work here shows the chops she brought to that more recent role, even if she wasn't given a whole lot to do.Still, there will be some issues with this film for some. The big one is the cinematography. I've seen it described as murky or grainy, and while that might be true to an extent, I don't really see it as a serious problem. For one, this film was shot with mostly natural light, if not all, and the lack of vibrant color is appropriate to the overall tone of the film and Wilmot's character as portrayed therein (or at least how he views life). As a libertine, he saw life as banal and went out of his way to make things more interesting for himself by being an all-around jerk and debauching all of the time. Personally, I didn't mind this either, but I can see how others might not like him, especially when he goes out of his way to make this clear to others (and the audience, at the beginning and end) just how unlikeable and how much of a cynic he is. My way into the film and his character was an icy and sardonic sense of humor, which was employed often.Towards the end, it tries to be a little sentimental by showing his physical deterioration, and while this was still done effectively it undermined what came before it slightly. Despite my slight misgivings about the way things turn out in the final act, one of the best scenes in the entire film is in this section.Overall, this isn't a film I'd necessarily return to, but I don't regret having watched it given how depressing it is. The score which accompanied it was decent enough and, despite what you might feel about the look of the film, it meshes well with the overall tone and Depp's performance. Just don't go in expecting him to be as cheery, optimistic or likable as he is in almost everything else he's done.

Most historical dramas follow a deadly-dull formula, based on pretty costumes, convention and romance. But 'The Libertine' is a wholly refreshing film, showing that it's possible to make an original period drama that shuns the formulae that mar many others. The film is boosted by terrific performances from the entire cast, and a poetic dialogue that has the feel of that of a 17th century play, but subtly infused with a naturalistic and contemporary flavour. The story is based on a real life libertine, and the court of Charles II was known for its debauchery, but I doubt the real figure was quite as extraordinary or publicly obscene as the character played here by Johnny Depp; but the world depicted here makes perfect sense in its own terms. And the creation of this world is really the film's entire point, as the plot is fairly linear and limited. But this is a movie of unusual flair and verve.