Depp Depth

I have loved Johnny Depp since I first saw his rebellious, smoldering- yet achingly sensitive face on 21 Jump Street. He's having a good career for himself, Mr. Depp is. You've got to admire his choices. You don't see Harrison Ford stretching himself to that degree. Like many "stock actors", Ford is content to give us the same character every single film. Hell, James Garner did it for decades, why not? Depp crawls way out on the crazy limb when he makes choices. He took a Robert Downey-type role in Benny & Joon and turned it into a classic. Gilbert Grape. Jack Sparrow. Ed Wood. Willie Wonka. Edward Scissorhands. Because he makes such wacky choices, I tend to watch anything he is in. I got burned with The Secret Window, which was an idiotic piece of claptrap. At the end, when the truth is revealed, Depp sounded just like PeeWee Herman. That turned a thriller into a giggler for me.

I have recently watched The Libertine & I am afraid it falls into the rotten egg category along with Secret Window. What a stinker. He is hot for the first 10 minutes of the film (see pic), although you can barely understand his dialogue. Then he disintegrates into a disgusting mess as syphilis ravages his character. At the end he is a lesion-oozing horror, with blood pouring from his.....um....wedding tackle. The entire film is dark & gross....gross, gross, gross. I'm not a sissy who can't stand basic unpleasantry in my movies, I have been desensitized to gore just like the rest of the world's moviegoers. This film was gross squared. I can only conclude that Depp owed someone a favor.

I am still holed up in my home, but I will be forced out Friday, when I have a dinner date. This is a strange area....the date is with a good friend of my ex husband's. I'm not sure what the rules are for men, but I think he may have broken one by asking me out. The rules are very clear for female friends. For best friends, one may never never date the ex....it is a major taboo. A best friend may never discuss him in sexual or flattering terms. They must always consider the ex to be scum. If the man did your homegirl wrong, he is taboo for life. She's the one that will help you hide the body when you finally get fed up & clip him in the head with the blender. For casual girlfriends, the rule is 5 years. At least 5 years after you dumped his sorry tail, the not-best-but-good girlfriend may broach the subject of seeing your ex socially. You have to say yes because you don't want to seem petty & obsessive, but you think less of her for even asking. As she discusses going out with him, you are already mentally crossing her off your Xmas card list. A female casual acquaintance may date your ex after 3 years, but she will never achieve friend status & you will call her names at lunch, with your real friends. That is how it is for women, those are the Rules. I have no idea what the rules are for men. This man & my ex are very close, they've undoubtedly discussed it. Men probably don't have any rules at all. They just grunt, scratch themselves & do what they want.

I'm going out to the dinner because this is someone I don't have to be a sweetpea with. He's seen me at my worst for years & still wants to break bread with me. He knows what he's in for. I foresee lots of laughter & maybe some breadsticks up the nose. At the very least, I'll get some fresh air.