"John Wilmot penned his poetry riddled with the pox"

[kenjari]

Other Kenjari and I saw "The Libertine" last night. It's adapted from a play about John Wilmot, second Earl of Rochester, a Restoration poet, wit, and well, libertine. It was okay. The movie has its good points, but it kept missing what it aimed at. It's shot in a grainy soft focus, giving it a very distinctive look which I liked but others may not. The acting was overall good. Johnny Depp (who played Wilmot) is always a delight to watch, and Samantha Morton was compelling as Elizabeth Barry, a talented and fiercely independent actress. John Wilmot himself was a quite interesting person, and Restoration-era England is a great setting. However, the direction and the script never quite lived up to the potential of the material.