The Libertine (2004)
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33% of critics liked it
(122 reviews) -
56% of users liked it
(70,472 ratings)
A man who lives for pleasure finds his hedonism betrays him in time in this film adaptation of the play by Stephen Jeffreys. The second Earl of Rochester, John Wilmot (Johnny Depp), was a notorious figure in 17th century Europe; well-respected as a poet and author, Wilmot also earned no small degree… More A man who lives for pleasure finds his hedonism betrays him in time in this film adaptation of the play by Stephen Jeffreys. The second Earl of Rochester, John Wilmot (Johnny Depp), was a notorious figure in 17th century Europe; well-respected as a poet and author, Wilmot also earned no small degree of gossip for his freewheeling sex life and appetite for decadence. Wilmot was close friends with Charles II (John Malkovich), the powerful and Machiavellian ruler of England, and enjoyed a passionate romance with Elizabeth Barry (Samantha Morton), an actress of note. But Wilmot's seemingly charmed life took a turn for the worse when he wrote a satirical play lampooning his friend Charles II; the monarch failed to see the humor, and exiled the author from Britain. Wilmot found little solace in his relationship with Barry, especially after he contracted syphilis and began drinking heavily as the disease tore away at his body and his mind. The Libertine was produced in part by John Malkovich, who played the role of John Wilmot in a production of Stephen Jeffreys' original play. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Laurence Dunmore
- Written By
- Stephen Jeffreys
- Genres
- Drama
- In Theaters
- Mar 10, 2006 Wide
- Studio
- Weinstein Company
Critic Reviews
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Peter Howell, Toronto Star
What emerges from the bilious murk of first-time director Laurence Dunmore's film is a sad picture of an intelligent and talented writer who opted for self-indulgence and gratuitous insult over anything more meaningful.
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Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
As the character grows sicker and quieter, the drama's energy fades.
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Neva Chonin, San Francisco Chronicle
The point seems to be that too much of a good thing leads to a vast sense of nothingness and bleak cinematography. Alas, it also results in transforming a film about a sensualist into a remarkably sexless enterprise.
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Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
A bawdy Restoration romp that doesn't. Romp.
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Peter Debruge, Miami Herald
From time to time, a gem-like line shines from the squalor, but in general, it's merely the film's suffocating cynicism that registers.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Johnny Depp
as John Wilmot Second Earl of Rochester
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John Malkovich
as King Charles II
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Samantha Morton
as Elizabeth Berry
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Rosamund Pike
as Elizabeth Malet
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Tom Hollander
as Sir George Etherege
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Johnny Vegas
as Charles Sackville
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Kelly Reilly
as Jane
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Jack Davenport
as Harris
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Richard Coyle
as Alcock
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Francesca Annis
as Countess
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Rupert Friend
as Downs
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Clare Higgins
as Molly Luscombe
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Tom Burke
as Vaughan

