'The Rum Diary'

'The Rum Diary' (R) (rental)

Written and Directed By Bruce Robinson
Based on the novel By Hunter S. Thompson
Starring: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Michael Rispoil, Aaron Eckhart, Richard Jenkins, Giovanni Ribisi

"The Rum Diary" is another look at the intriguing life of one Hunter S. Thompson. Thompson is an iconic figure in literature and actor Johnny Depp was a friend of his and played him twice in movies based on Thompson's writing and life. Before then Thompson was played by Bill Murray in 1980's "Where the Buffalo Roam", a movie I have not seen. Recently in 1998 Depp played Thompson in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", a movie some loved and some hated. I had a good time with that 1998 version and it is slightly better than "The Rum Diary".

"Fear and Loathing" had energy and a madcap charm. It didn't make sense but it didn't have to because it dealt with Thompson's use of multiple hard drugs. The movie was always in a state of a surreal dream because it was Thompson in a drugged haze. "The Rum Diary" takes place in 1959 when he was 22 and in Puerto Rico when Thompson was more into alcohol and drinking himself into oblivion. This was before he dabbled in drugs and there is one scene where Thompson takes what I believe is acid and trips with his pal Sala. Thompson's alter ego Paul Kemp, played by Depp, is in Puerto Rico to write for a small newspaper. He stays with his friend Sala in a slum like apartment and gets involved with a shady businessman and his wife.

There is not a plot here that is always deep or coherent even though I liked Depp's performance and a bunch of the supporting ones. "Fear and Loathing" was incoherent also but I felt more of a connection there. "Diary" felt cold to me and I always thought it was holding back. It needed more zip and energy and sometimes the movie meanders in the second half. There are individual scenes that were amusing and fun. One involves a scene of Kemp and Sala skipping out on a bill at a dilapidated eatery. A scene like that and a few others stand apart from some of the lazier parts.
The movie's director Bruce Robinson made a madcap movie that has become a cult classic called "Withnail and I" from 1987. That movie had more energy and zip than "Diary" and I wish Robinson brought more of that former movie's spirit to this one.

The movie is not always alive but there are a few things here that make me want to reccomend it to movie goers for a DVD rental. If you like Thompson and his work you will like Johnny Depp's performance and those by Michael Rispoli as Sala and Giovanni Ribisi's funny performance as a drugged out writer who makes guest appearances at the newspaper. I also loved Richard Jenkins as the editor and now I realize Jenkins can do any role and I always smile when I see that he is in a movie. The movie also looks sunny and beautiful and Puerto Rico looks awesome, makes me want to visit. Amber Heard as the wife who Kemp gets involved with is beautiful to look at but the character is weakly written. If you love Johnny Depp and you love light, character driven work you might want to check this out on cable or DVD.

For movies like "The Rum Diary" that are better check out "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" with a better look at Thompson. Also very funny is Bruce Robinson's "Withnail and I" about a vacation from hell.