The Libertine
User Score
6.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 40 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 40
  3. Negative: 11 out of 40

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  1. PatO.
    Jul 9, 2006
    9
    Brilliant acting. Exremely difficult role and lines delivered with mezmerizing expertise. I thoroughly enjoyed the art of Depp.
  2. DavidH.
    Dec 5, 2005
    10
    Amazing!
  3. [Anonymous]
    Sep 1, 2006
    9
    The painful choices of two women, wife and mistress, were as sensitively portrayed as was Johnny Depp
  4. AndyS.
    Dec 5, 2005
    10
    A bizarre and completely intoxicating experience unlike anything I have ever seen.
  5. CathyW.
    Mar 12, 2006
    10
    Extraordinary performance from Depp, Malkovich Morton and Pike. The restoration was not a pretty venue. History is history. And these performances are outstanding. The film may have some flaws. But overall it is a rivieting story and I am proud that Johnny did the movie.
  6. KevinC.
    Mar 25, 2006
    10
    All the reviews have missed the salient point. Wilmot is bi-polar. The camera work, the music, it's all mirrors of his moods. Because he's brilliant he does thing purely because he can. When the actress finally sees he for who ge really is, her scenes on camera are transformed. When Wilmot addresses Lords, it's because he can -- and he knows James' faye as king will be. It's bi-polar all the way. Gripping.… Expand
  7. MayaB.
    Aug 22, 2006
    10
    What a great surprise. I expected a big production movie full of moral lessons and naked wenches, but what I saw was a tale about the darkness of the human soul, and the impulse of self destruction in the face of hypocrisy and boredom.
  8. AlistairD.
    Dec 11, 2005
    10
    I don't think its the greatest movie of all time but it is a great movie and it offers something original as well. Funny, bizarre and sad in places, Depp is brillent throughout.
  9. SamJ.
    Dec 5, 2005
    10
    A decadent, satirical and devishly entertaining confection with a superior performance by Depp and the greatest score in Michael Nyman's career. Stunning monologues. Those who call it trash are not bright enough to negotiate it.
  10. DawnB.
    Mar 21, 2006
    10
    Superb! This is Johnny Depp at his best, stunning and compelling to watch. This movie is based on a play, so do not expect swashbuckling action (although there is a very short sword fight scene). If you love to see great actors performing you will love this movie.
  11. AndrewS.
    Nov 19, 2005
    10
    Nearly every performance in this film is a showstopper. I am completely unsure where to even begin--Depp is masterful, but even his performance is overshadowed by the willowy earnestness of Rosamund Pike, the sheer brilliance of John Malkovich, or, perhaps most of all, the fierce determination and brio of Samantha Morton. Period pieces that play up the squalor of 17th century London are becoming the norm, but this film has an authentic vulgarity that is absent nearly all other films so set. The plot itself is gripping, taut as a bowstring. And it works so well for the virtuosity of the cast to find themselves in its development that it becomes absolutely seamless, a perfect narrative acted by performers at the very peak of their powers.… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
44 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 30 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 30
  3. Negative: 12 out of 30
  1. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Peter Travers
    88
    This one-of-a-kind spellbinder from first-time director Laurence Dunmore is not afraid to shock. Depp is a raunchy wonder, especially in a time-capsule-worthy opening monologue.
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  2. Variety
    Reviewed by: Leslie Felperin
    50
    Starting out seductive but ending up tiresome, debuting director Laurence Dunmore's pic is an honorable misfire.
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  3. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Anthony Lane
    50
    Deep and Morton are really flying here (the scene in which the hero instructs the heroine in the passionate possibilities of her art), and they leave the rest of the film looking heavy on its feet. The second half, especially, grows dour and maundering, and by the end the movie seems to flail in desperation, more like a work in progress than like a finished piece.
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