Johnny Depp again portrays legendary Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson (after 1998's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) in this adaptation of Thompson's novel about his experiences working in Puerto Rico in the late 50s. Directed by Bruce Robinson (Withnail and I).
Depp plays Paul (the story's Thompson stand-in), a young American journalist who accepts a job working on a small newspaper in the Caribbean. Upon arrival, he finds the paper's self-destructive employees fuelled by booze and maniacal ideas. As he struggles to find his groove on the island he gets entangled in a violent love triangle as his obsessions with rum and the woman Chenault (Zombieland's Amber Heard) begin to consume him. Aaron Eckhart and Giovanni Ribisi also star.
Depp more or less reprises his role as Thompson's alter ego, once again playing a journalist whose yen for excess obscures the idealism at his core. But the film, despite its obvious intelligence and flashes of wit, doesn't bring that passion across.
Full reviewDepp more or less reprises his role as Thompson's alter ego, once again playing a journalist whose yen for excess obscures the idealism at his core. But the film, despite its obvious intelligence and flashes of wit, doesn't bring that passion across.
Full reviewFull of affection for the late Dr T, this droll if bitty frolic is destined to form a triple bill someday with Fear And Loathing and Where The Buffalo Roam.
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A mild lark disguised as a wild bender, The Rum Diary is also a touching tribute to Thompson himself.
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We have the feeling that Kemp/Thompson saw much of life through the bottom of a dirty glass and did not experience it with any precision. The film duplicates this sensation, not with much success.
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In every move, Depp makes you believe this was a passion project for the actor, one he dedicates to Thompson.
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A relatively mild diversion, not at all unpleasant but neither compelling nor convulsive.
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A fitting tribute to Hunter and the demise of the American Dream, but first and foremost a thrilling and funny snapshot of a country on its knees and a writer finding his feet.
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