Sex, smut and Johnny Depp

It took more than a year for "The Libertine" to make it to American screens, and the buzz that built during that time was dead-on. It's a darkly satisfying character sketch, but it's not for the faint of heart. \nThe film tells the story of John Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester, who famously embraced every temptation life could throw his way. As he descends to an early death of syphilis, he manages to romance a whore, write some fabulously filthy poetry and piss off the king by portraying him as a giant dildo. Wilmot may not have been a nice guy, obviously, but he was an infinitely interesting one. \nJohnny Depp's portrayal of Wilmot is gutsy, to say the least. With his last few films, Depp has been less and less able to melt into his roles, but here, he manages to shake free of his pretty face. Any anti-hero is expected to swagger, but Depp makes it clear that all the posturing is, ultimately, to no real end. A lesser actor might have played Wilmot as a simple hedonist, but Depp manages to infuse Wilmot's debauchery with an air of cynical wisdom. Life is a farce in Wilmot's world, and for the duration of the film, the viewer is in on the joke.\nThe supporting cast, too, warrants praise. Samantha Morton, as Wilmot's lover Elizabeth, elevates the role above that of a simple whore. She's a smart woman trapped in a world that shuns her, but her ultimate triumph leaves the viewer wondering what it cost her. Rosamund Pike, as Wilmot's long-suffering wife, brings a well-heeled fire to the role. What kind of woman would have married Wilmot in the first place? And how would that woman have dealt with his behavior? Pike manages to unite the two roles. John Malkovich, as King Charles II, is decent, but not memorable.\nThe veiled, smoky look of the film shows the light of life in the 17th century, but more usefully, casts a pallor over the action. Some have complained that the film amounts to little more than sanitized smut, but that's oversimplifying it. In a world as grim as Wilmot's, pleasure is fleeting, so the only option is to grab it while it's there.