Ticket Stubs #52: The Libertine (Independence Day Special)

Article by Sean Wilkinson,
a.k.a. The Ticketmaster

I realize that Johnny Depp isn't the hottest commodity at the moment, what with the dog & pony show (by which I mean, "bitch and horse's ass show") that was his he-said-she-said domestic abuse trial "against" Amber Heard several months back.
I also realize that I already released this review back ON August 24, 2017, when the series was called Ticketverse Throwbacks.
But the movie is called The Libertine, it's the Fourth Of July, and as an Independent American, I can do almost anything I want, so please remember to like and comment down below, subscribe to my blog, follow me on Tumblr, Reddit, and Facebook for the latest news on my content, and have a safe Independence Day.
Or don't; it's a free country. But please do because engagement, safety, and freedom are good things, and doing and feeling good things feels good to do. And that's good!

Sorry, I turned into the end of Wreck-It-Ralph for a second. On with the re-reprint of a movie review FROM July 24, 2006 (SW@ Ticket #53: The Eenie-Meenie Cha-Cha Cheenie):

About the title: don't ask. Just know that it has something to do with a review of Johnny Depp's performance in The Libertine.

In said movie, Depp plays the highly controversial, beheading-worthy Second Earl of Rochester (who just so happens to also be named Johnny, when not referred to by number, title, and/or county). Rochester is a man ahead of his time; an 18th century Keith Richards, an extremely lewd poet constantly probing the groins of prostitutes, thorning the side of the king (Charles II at the time, played exceptionally and unrecognizably by John Malkovich), and liquoring himself in such piratical fashion as to rival Captain Jack Sparrow.
Syphilis and exile follow, as do extramarital love and his sacrifice of self-pride for patriotism, and finally, death.
Based on the semi-biographical play of the same name, The Libertine has good talent in front of and behind the camera. If you watch in the hopes that something is going to happen, you may be disappointed. It is to some degree a chick-flick; that means you must turn up the volume to follow the British accents and watch for drama, romance, and the story of John Rochester. I fell victim to boredom several times, but never fell asleep or felt disappointed.
As for the special features, commentary and deleted scenes are usually boring, unfinished crap, so I skipped them. However, the making-of featurette is by far the most enlightening and entertaining of its kind (much more than an effects spoiler) that I have seen, and is as good as or better than the movie itself.
A-

SW@,
out.

Ticketmaster,
in.

Ticketmaster's Note: There is also a SW@ Ticket Archive version of this review, but there were only a few changes in paragraph breaks, while the wording stayed the same. Since the Ticketverse Throwbacks edition, I have updated the links and fixed a couple of spelling errors that I was too lazy and/or tired to catch before (and that Blogger's spell-check didn't catch, either). Also, the fitting irony of me saying Depp is playing someone "highly controversial" and "beheading-worthy" named Johnny who loses his pride and gets exiled is not lost on me.

If you've seen The Libertine and you agree or disagree, or this post made you seek out The Libertine on streaming because you enjoy watching Johnny Depp apply his lecherous persona to something semi-serious for a change, let me know in the comments, leave a like for this issue of Ticket Stubs, and click some ads so I can get Second Earl rich (accounting for inflation, of course).
Next time, the GFT Retrospective reviews an issue that, like both Johnnys mentioned above, has been stripped of its title.

Ticketmaster,
First SW@ Of Blogspot,
Wishing you a Happy Fourth!
Again!