classicsoncall Review of The Rum Diary

The Rum Diary (2011)

"It seems to me there's a bad vibe developing."

[7/10 · 4 November 2019]

An alcoholic with ethics - who would have thought? That would be Johnny Depp in his portrayal of journalist Kemp, landing a gig at the San Juan Star in Puerto Rico. He doesn't know it yet, but he's being recruited to write flattering stories for conniving developers who want to change the pristine landscape of an unnamed nearby island into a tourist trap with a magnificent hotel. Teaming with an equally sobriety-free photographer (Michael Rispoli), the pair form an unusual alliance with yet another outcast from society named Moburg. I don't think I've seen Giovanni Ribisi in a role I haven't liked, and he plays up the degenerate aspect of his character to the hilt. What it all leads to is a take down of Hal Sanderson's (Aaron Eckhart) latest scheme for scoring millions, while losing his fiancee Chenault (Amber Heard) to the often bewildered Kemp. I got a kick out of the scene with the hallucinatory eye drops, though I thought more could have been done with it. The island cock-fights looked real enough, but the FAQ page for the film here on IMDb explains how it was done to avoid the PETA folks' wrath. As for the sequin studded tortoise at Sanderson's - it could have been diamonds or zirconium, depending on how much rum you've consumed.