The Rum Diary
It’s been 20 years since director Bruce Robinson made a film, the last being Jennifer 8 in 1992. However, his more prominent film that people may know is the alcohol-charged Withnail and I for which he also wrote the screenplay.
With The Rum Diary, Robinson returns as both director and screenwriter to adapt Hunter S Thompson’s novel.
First up, don’t expect a revisit to that other famous Thompson-inspired film that also starred Depp. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was a drug-induced mind warp that made the most sober of people curious about indulging. The Rum Diary is a much tamer version of the former.
Set in stunning 1960s Puerto Rico, Depp plays Paul Kemp, a sweat-soaked alcoholic who turns up on the island to work as a reporter at the local paper. Initially set to write horoscopes, he soon becomes friends with fellow journalist Sala (Michael Rispoli). Kemp becomes interested in Puerto Rican culture and the imbalance between the people and the expatriates who live there.
Enter smooth-talking businessman Sanderson (Aaron Eckhart) and his sultry girlfriend Chenault (Amber Heard) who befriend Kemp and try to entice him into a new business venture that seeks to disenfranchise the people from the land.
The screenplay at times has very rich Hunteresque dialogue which jumps out and captures the viewer’s attention. Renowned for his liberal use of all the things we hate to love, Hunter S
Thompson must have had a ball experiencing life at this time with all the political agendas and cultural divides.
There are moments of hilarity and instead of the drugged-up episodes we might’ve encountered in Fear and Loathing, The Rum Diary is more like a hangover, taking us all over the show.
As a result, the plot just seems to die out in a way with no resolve and even the terrific Johnny Depp cannot save the mediocrity this film delivers.
Besides the cinematography, which is absolutely stunning with a saturated ’60s tone, it is Giovanni Ribisi who brilliantly stands out as the eccentric Moberg. Apart from that, the film fails to be anything remarkable.
I give this film 3 out of 5, purely for the acting and cinematography.
INFO: Kylan Luke-McKeen is the presenter and film reviewer for Kiss My Arts on JOY94.9 (Mondays 9-10pm). You can view his work and other film reviews at www.kylanmckeen.com
120 mins
M rating
Director: Bruce Robinson
Screenplay: Bruce Robinson
Based on the novel by Hunter S Thompson
Cast: Johnny Depp, Giovani Ribisi, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Rispoli, Amber Heard
I’m a big fan of Hunter S Thompson, but I was feeling a little bit weary of this film since it has been shelved for almost a year now. I attended the world premiere of “The Rum Diary”, and I can report with absolute sincerity that if you loved HST’s work, this will not disappoint.
The only problem many die hard fans of the book may have is with the character of Mr. Sanderson. In the novel Paul Kemp and Sanderson represent the dueling persona’s of Hunter, one being a cutthroat athletic type, the other being the booze-hound anti-authoritarian. In this film, Johnny Depp plays more to the character being a young HST and combines the characteristics of both into Kemp. Some may have a problem with this, but the movie is stronger for it as you are only rooting for the protagonist while giving the story a strong antagonist, a necessity in filmmaking.
In my eyes, this is Bruce Robinson’s best work on screen to date, Johnny Depp is absolutely awe-inspiringly believable as a very young and constrained Hunter, and the cast could not have been more dead on.
Thanks,
Denisse Mock