Johnny Depp stars as Paul Kemp, a rum-slinging journalist resembling the young and undeveloped Hunter S. Thompson in the new film, The Rum Diary. Depp was a close friend of Thompson and played his character in the 1998 film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas with a disturbingly accurate portrayal.
Based on Thompson’s original novel, “The Rum Diary,” written in the early 1960’s, his story remained unpublished until 1998 when he had achieved phenomenal success as a writer and American icon.
Many who are familiar with his work may feel that the film from writer and director Bruce Robinson, based on Thompson’s novel, does not do the book complete justice. Regardless, it is a must see for any fan of Thompson’s work.
The film is set during the 1950’s in San Juan, Puerto Rico where Paul has just taken a job as a journalist at a depressed newspaper. The paper is staffed by eccentric and maniacal characters. While Depp has an ability and knack for playing odd roles, Paul is surprisingly the most normal character in the movie.
Despite his unquenchable thirst for rum shooters and experimentation with mysterious hallucinogens, Paul is out-shadowed at times by the bizarre people that surround around him in Puerto Rico. In a sea of self-destructing journalists with an abundance of free time and booze, the film is full of laughs and raw entertainment.
The trailers are somewhat misleading and portray The Rum Diary as a wild substance-abusing ride similar to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Paul says, “Puerto Rico. I came down here looking for a story, but I found the strangest paradise on Earth. It’s where your secrets come to dance and the voodoo works it’s magic. And if the drinking doesn’t get you into trouble, the women definitely will. All of this may sound like some crazed hallucination, but it’s all true – I think.”
Although wild at times, there is far more substance to Robinson’s film in terms of what the characters represent alongside the naïve dreams of a young journalist.
At 120 minutes running time, the movie drags on at times and seems to leave a few things undeveloped along the way. The underdevelopment of Kemp and his love interest Chenault (Amber Heard), the sexy temptress, is slightly frustrating because it never really comes off of the backburner as much as the audience will want it to.
The Rum Diary’s plot can be slightly confusing at times because of a side story that involved Paul’s affairs with a crooked business mogul named Sanderson (Aaron Eckhart). With several wild rides associated `with Paul’s “perks” in working for Sanderson, the film juxtaposes the struggling journalists with Sanderson’s rich cohorts who are plotting the commercial launch of a new resort in the Caribbean. Paul is recruited to write for them but the real purpose of his involvement is slightly vague and unclear.
From back alley cockfighting to cruising yachts and a classic red corvette, the film shows the vast differences in the social class of the journalists and the business moguls. While the rich characters are grubbing for more millions, the paper’s editor Edward J. Lotterman (Richard Jenkins) is concerned with keeping the paper above water.
As the film progresses, Paul goes from merely wandering around finding himself in strange adventures to finding a purpose for his stay in Puerto Rico. He becomes determined to break a story, bringing justice with his typewriter.
Although there is a definite message behind the vagrant behavior seen throughout the movie, The Rum Diary is best enjoyed at its extremely entertaining face value.
This film is guaranteed to leave people running to local liquor stores to pick up bottles of rum. As Thompson once said, “Buy the ticket, take the ride.”
PHOTO COURTESY of hollywood.com
