This film was pretty decent; it was made by the same guy who created the brilliant documentary on Enron, and the quality was evident. I understand that two hours is plenty of time for a documentary on a semi-famous writer best known for his books on the Hells Angels and his drug-fueled adventures in Las Vegas, but I didn't feel completely satisfied with this movie. The movie ought to have spent more time on Hunter Thompson's boyhood and youth. Why did he go into writing? When did he begin? Did his time in the Air Force influence his later career? There was no elucidation on Thompson's nascent work, such as the recently-published "Rum Diary." I had a feeling that much of Thompson's career as a writer stemmed from the experiences of his youth. Just how did he get that job at "The Nation", which led to his articles on the Hells Angels? This movie should have focused more on that, rather than the inordinate amount of time it spent on the 1972 election.
The movie seemed like a paean to the man and his writing, but it provided balance by citing his destructive behavior and its toll on loved ones. The comments by Thompson's first wife were especially poignant, and her feelings about his suicide were the most mature and heart-felt of any in the documentary. It is from Thompsn's ex-wife that the viewer gets a relatively full picture of the man, for here was a woman who knew him as well as anyone, and could describe the good and bad of the man in all of its gritty detail.
Some of the film seemed a bit creepy, but that's probably because it reflected off the weird vibes of Hunter Thompson and his followers. Johnny Depp has a wonderfully sonorous voice, perfect for reading excerpts of Thompson's work. It was really odd to see Depp get into his narration by holding a pistol up with his right hand while he read a leaflet from Thompson's ill-fated campaign for sheriff of Pitkin County, Colorado; on the front of the leaflet is Thompson's "gonzo" symbol. I guess Depp wants to play the part of the cool hipster in this scene by showing how down he is with the counterculture; but, lest we forget, he *was* in three rather lame CGI-laden Disney blockbusters as a not-too-funny, dopey, effeminate, so-called pirate. But I digress (which I love doing).
This movie really didn't elucidate what exactly "gonzo journalism" is, other than the following: it involves heavy editorializing and the imposition of personal opinion on events, laced with sarcasm and tongue-in-cheek humor; including yourself in the story; searching for hope and morality in the most immoral of people and places; and, as a matter of course, getting stoned and zonked on hallucinogenic drugs and alcohol. (Ironic that most people know the word "Gonzo" as the name of the lovelorn blue weirdo Muppet from "Muppet Babies"; wonder how Thompson felt about that?)
Confession: I've not read a thing by Thompson, but have heard of him and his reputation as a counterculture icon of sorts. Overall, the film was decent, and I might read some of Thompson's writing as a result of what I saw in this movie. I hope that's what that film will do for others as well.
The movie seemed like a paean to the man and his writing, but it provided balance by citing his destructive behavior and its toll on loved ones. The comments by Thompson's first wife were especially poignant, and her feelings about his suicide were the most mature and heart-felt of any in the documentary. It is from Thompsn's ex-wife that the viewer gets a relatively full picture of the man, for here was a woman who knew him as well as anyone, and could describe the good and bad of the man in all of its gritty detail.
Some of the film seemed a bit creepy, but that's probably because it reflected off the weird vibes of Hunter Thompson and his followers. Johnny Depp has a wonderfully sonorous voice, perfect for reading excerpts of Thompson's work. It was really odd to see Depp get into his narration by holding a pistol up with his right hand while he read a leaflet from Thompson's ill-fated campaign for sheriff of Pitkin County, Colorado; on the front of the leaflet is Thompson's "gonzo" symbol. I guess Depp wants to play the part of the cool hipster in this scene by showing how down he is with the counterculture; but, lest we forget, he *was* in three rather lame CGI-laden Disney blockbusters as a not-too-funny, dopey, effeminate, so-called pirate. But I digress (which I love doing).
This movie really didn't elucidate what exactly "gonzo journalism" is, other than the following: it involves heavy editorializing and the imposition of personal opinion on events, laced with sarcasm and tongue-in-cheek humor; including yourself in the story; searching for hope and morality in the most immoral of people and places; and, as a matter of course, getting stoned and zonked on hallucinogenic drugs and alcohol. (Ironic that most people know the word "Gonzo" as the name of the lovelorn blue weirdo Muppet from "Muppet Babies"; wonder how Thompson felt about that?)
Confession: I've not read a thing by Thompson, but have heard of him and his reputation as a counterculture icon of sorts. Overall, the film was decent, and I might read some of Thompson's writing as a result of what I saw in this movie. I hope that's what that film will do for others as well.