The biopic covers the life of poet-playwright John Wilmot.

The biopic covers the life of poet-playwright John Wilmot.
By PHIL VILLARREAL
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
When Johnny Depp crashes an otherwise dull period drama, "The Libertine" is what happens.
An odd composition of stolid chamber drama and manic acting by its magnetic star, the movie makes for an occasionally invigorating experience that is too predictable and mannered for its own good. "The Libertine" definitely won't suit most tastes, but it's a can't-miss for any Depp fanatic.
Set during England's 17th-century Restoration period, noted for its revival of theater, the biopic covers the life of poet-playwright John Wilmot, the Second Earl of Rochester. A carouser and scoundrel who lives to debauch, he goes by "Johnny" and his manners are such that he looks women straight in the breasts when he speaks at them.
Embraces role
Depp embraces his role with flourish, letting salaciousness and overconfidence flow through his being.
Pompous and irascible, Johnny tries the patience of all around him, especially King Charles II (John Malkovich), whom Johnny addresses as though he were a servant. The monarch first only seems to tolerate Johnny's insolence out of family connections and a need to be liked. As the story wears on, it becomes clear that Charles puts up with the shenanigans because he sees potential for nobility and an illuminating social consciousness underneath Johnny's cynicism and anger.
He falls in love with the one woman who doesn't wilt in his presence, actress Elizabeth Berry (Samantha Morton). Johnny is enraptured with Berry after witnessing her bomb onstage. Johnny decides to take Berry under his wing, acting as her mentor and ... more.
Berry, like the viewing audience, quickly sickens of Johnny's antics. A man who doesn't trust himself can't be trusted by others, and Johnny's comeuppance, meted out by unrequited love and illness, is weirdly gratifying.