DVD Pick of the Week: The Libertine

First off, Happy Fourth of July! I hope you are all enjoying your Independence Day, and hopefully you have the day off. Enjoy the fireworks and the barbecues and the company of friends, because there certainly isn't much in the way of new titles on the shelves. This week is very small on the release schedule. The studios probably want to hold back their bigger releases for a non-holiday Tuesday, and I don't blame them. That doesn't mean there aren't any worthy titles, there are a couple.

Among the few titles of note is this week's pick. The one DVD I really want is The Libertine. This is a film that sat on the shelf for two years before seeing the light of a movie screen earlier this year. It is a biopic starring Johnny Depp as John Wilmot, the Second Earl of Rochester, and a friend of the king. Wilmot was a writer of satirical plays and raunchy poetry, and was known as a womanizer and heavy drinker. This film follows Wilmot from his return from exile, his mentoring of a young actress, played by Samantha Morton, the deterioration of his marriage to Elizabeth Malet, played by Rosamund Pike, and his ultimate demise.

The movie is a muddy and dirty and utterly fascinating. It is completely shouldered by the strength of Depp's performance, proving once again just how good he is. He is mesmerizing in the role, and completely charismatic on the screen. This is a movie that is worth your time, and the best of this week's batch.

Also coming out this week:

• Doctor Who: The Complete First Series. I was never much of a Doctor Who fan, although I remember watching some of the old shows when I was a young waif. This new series is a wonderful reintroduction to the character, and a wonderful series. Christopher Eccleston is great as the good Doctor. Defintiely worth your checking out, even if you aren't a Who fan.
• Eastern Horror: Satan's Slave / Corpse Master. This is another entry in the Eastern Horror releases I've seen popping up on shelves. I don't know anything about these titles, but the cover is cool, and the titles sound like B-chees bliss.
• The Matador. This was an odd little film, features a fun performance from Pierce Brosnan as a contract killer who just might be loosing his mind. He decides to get out of the work, but soon finds himself a target. He turns to his one friend, the everyman played by Greg Kinnear. This is fun to watch, if a little off-kilter.

So many choices, what are you getting this week?