Before I review this movie, I would like to make a public service announcement to people who are thinking about going to a theater in order to see this movie. If you are a teenage girl who is going to see this movie because you think Johnny Depp is hot and you are expecting him to be a sexy pirate: STOP. If you are going to see this film thinking that it will be just like "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," just because it is a Hunter S. Thompson adaptation: DON'T. If you're expecting Johnny Depp to be a quirky character like in all those those Tim Burton movies: YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED. If you are looking for a movie in which Johnny Depp to be a very endearing and talented actor in a movie with a really good plot, then you are allowed to see this movie.
I went to see this film at the Fortuna Theater (I know, I live in a small town. The Fortuna Theater has the best digital picture and sound in the area.) on opening weekend. There were about eight other people in the theater and three of them fell into the "Johnny Depp is a sexy pirate," category. Needless to say, they didn't like the movie. Unfortunately for me, their parents were in the movie with them and actually enjoying said movie. This led them to get up and walk in and out of the theater as a group a couple times and text... probably each other. Yes, I am the kind of person who will lean in into their ears in the dark and harshly whisper for them to put their DAMN PHONE AWAY!!!!! ....please.
So before I talk about the movie, I give my viewing experience a rating of: C- (The theater gets an A even though my boyfriend thought the screen was crooked, my fellow patrons brought down the grade.)
The Rum Diaries: Absolutely Nothing in Moderation
Starring Johnny Depp
A film adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's book of the same title.
Basic synopsis: American Journalism Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp) travels to Puerto Rico in the late 1960s to work for an American run newspaper doing odd bits and ends. While he has been assigned to the horoscope section, what he finds is a newspaper editor trying to bleed every possible cent out of a dying paper, corrupt politicians, the general populace in disarray and real journalists feel hopeless to stop any of it. Kemp feels it is his duty to expose the unjustices and right the wrong but how do you print the paper when your boss has stolen most of the printing equipment?
I very much enjoyed this movie. I am a big fan of Johnny Depp and a huge fan of Hunter S. Thompson. I know that not all of Thompson's books are like "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," and this is not a bad thing. The reason Thompson was able to get away with the occasional "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," is because he was a ruthless reporter who believed in informing his readers about what was really going on in his story. I was asked recently what journalism students think of Thompson. In my opinion, journalism students fall into two categories concerning Thompson: half believe that Thompson is a hack and overrated (these people probably haven't read any of his work) and the other half worship the ground that Thompson once walked upon.
I fall into this second category. As a Thompson worshiper, I am aware that there is only one person on the planet who is qualified to ever play Hunter S. Thompson in a movie and his name is Johnny Depp. Thompson trained Depp to be him. Depp lived with Thompson in his home in Colorado while Depp was preparing to shoot "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." Johnny Depp is the only actor who knows both Thompson's wild side and also his quieter, dedicated journalist side.
"The Rum Diaries," accentuated Thompson's more professional side. Kemp is a man who thinks that you're supposed to drop acid into your eye simply because it comes in an eye dropper. Yes, Kemp is after a good time in Puerto Rico but Kemp is much more focused on getting the news to print than sleeping with beautiful women, drinking highly flammable liquer or fighting chickens. Okay yes, he does participate in all of these other things but they are a minor part of the story.
If you like beautiful women, sexy cars, beautiful scenery and journalists fighting for what's right, this may be the movie for you. No, this is not my usual giant robot, mass explosion, car chase recommendation. This is a good, solid, thinking movie for adult readers.
This is not a movie you necessarily need to see in theaters, There aren't any crazy special effects that need dolby digital surround. You can absolutely enjoy this film in the comfort of your own home with no pants on.
You're welcome.
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