Review/Discussion of The Libertine (2004) and My Class Presentation of It

Alright, I'm finally going to review/discuss The Libertine (2004). I'll also take a few minutes to talk about my study group's adaptation of this 17th-century play by Thomas Shadwell.
This play is essentially the story of John Wilmot a.k.a. the Second Earl of Rochester, who debauched himself vis-a-vis illicit sex and unrestricted substance abuse right into an early grave. This film has a lot of strengths, the least of which is not its cast. For starters, Rochester is portrayed by none other than Johnny Depp. Need I say more, y'all? As is always the case, my "fantasy husband" nails his role. Listening to and watching Depp on screen, you will actually think you've been transported to Restoration-era England. (Restoration-era England w/Johnny Depp? I'm so there!) In addition, the supporting players rock. For instance, the one and only John Malkovich (an EIU theater program alumn, incidentally) plays King Charles II brilliantly, complete with the silly period wig and requisite ruffled blouse. Another great aspect is the romance. Rochester falls passionately in love with his muse, a popular stage actress (Samantha Morton). An added bonus is that the characters' names are all basically double entendres; for example, one charcter is named Mr. Alcock (Richard Coyle). No explanation necessary. Better yet, this play-turned-movie has my absolute favorite literary element: scandal. In one awesome cinematic masterpiece of a scene, Rochester scandalizes King Chuck with the most out-there play imaginable. It contains a dance sequence that is basically a full-on homage to a certain male body organ. (Oh, yeah, I love this play!) Most importantly, this film adaptation pretty much stays true to Shadwell's original vision. In other words, it's not totally Hollywood-ized. I love the fact that Depp chooses quirky, off-the-beaten-path roles, even though he could easily be a traditional leading man.
If I have one caveat about The Libertine, well, it ain't for the kiddies or the weak minded. If you don't fall into either one of these two categories, you should watch this movie.
That said, the concept for my own adaptation of this classic is twisted and convoluted, to say the least. My partners and I are staging it like one of those 1970s films shown to impressionable youngsters via projector in church basements to warn them of the dangers of straying from the straight-and-narrow path. Um, yeah.