Â鶹ԼÅÄ

Johnny Depp delivers one of the best performances of his idiosyncratic career in The Libertine, a low-budget British gem from debut director Laurence Dunmore. Depp shines through the murky gloom of 17th-century England in this intoxicating biopic about the little-known John Wilmot, aka the Earl Of Rochester, a debauched poet who proved mad, bad and very dangerous to know for all who hovered around his seductive light.

You've got to love any film which starts with its protagonist proclaiming to camera: "You will not like me." Yet despite the proud boasts of Depp's Wilmot, it's impossible not to like this charismatic anti-hero. Equal parts charmer and harmer, he doesn't care who he offends, repeatedly upsetting the King, Charles II (John Malkovich), with his bawdy take on life. Closer to home his wicked, wicked ways with wine and women leave his loving wife (a fantastically raw Rosamund Pike) despairing. Potential salvation arrives in the shape of upcoming actor Elizabeth Barry (Samantha Morton), but when Wilmot falls for the career-minded thespian, the seeds of his doom are sown.

"FULL OF WIT AND SPARKLE"

The Libertine is based on a play by Stephen Jeffreys, and those roots are on show in the dialogue-heavy scenes. That's not a criticism, however, for this is a mature, intelligent drama full of wit and sparkle. It also feels surprisingly relevant for modern times. Laurence Dunmore's past lies in advertising, and he brings that visual elan to the 17th-century with eye-catching results. And if that still doesn't convince you, there's always Johnny Vegas in a wig.