The Rum Diary (2011) User Reviews

Great scenes, great setting, decent story, mediocre direction...

[secondtake · 6/10 · 30 June 2012]

Rum Diary (2011)

If you're looking for the craziness of later Hunter S. Thompson, you'll find shreds of it here. In a way this is a more cogent movie than say "Fear and Loathing…" but it's also a bit prosaic beneath the wilder stuff that peppers the surface. Johnny Depp stars and runs the show in his usual strong if uninspired way as a new, hard-drinking reporter with a failing English language newspaper in Puerto Rico.

There is a true surface here that's pretty amazing--the cars, the low down rot of the apartments, the racism between the rich white Americans and the indigenous Puerto Ricans. The depth you might expect and want here is slim, however, even though all the pieces are in play for a great drama--a charming troubled writer in a land filled with prejudice and violence and great natural beauty. It pushes the clichés too hard, and it's generally agreed (even by Thompson) that the material is weak and "rambling." The movie doesn't rearrange it enough to make it work.

You can in a way watch this for those surfaces, if you don't need too much more. There are several secondary characters who do their best to be a bit insane, including Giovanni Ribisi as a drugged out waif of a reporter, something like what Thompson himself might have become later in life. (See of course the Depp in the imperfect 1998 "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" for a sense of the famous freewheeling selfish addled sometimes brilliant Thompson.)

The director here also adapted Thompson's book and if he gets the credit for the nice ambiance of the film he also gets the burden of how clunky, choppy, and sometimes slow it is, even with such exciting material. It's not a horror, it's watchable, but you'll flag here and there. Even the end, without giving a thing away, is a bit deflating.

"Are they not complimentary?"

[stevie_jt-623-785134 · 7/10 · 17 November 2011]

Plot Summary Now if your the sort of person that needs a definitive story line and thick plot to enjoy a film then this probably isn't for you. Its more a 'fly on the wall' view of a young journalists struggles in a failing newspaper. Paul Kemp(Depp) is a young man trying to make his way in a new place, making new friends and enemy's along the way.

What I thought of it I wasn't sure what I would think of this film, I new it has some great actors, such as Johnny Depp and Giovanni Ribisi, but the concept of the film was a strange one. I was pleasantly surprised, the director Bruce Robinson has done a great job with this film, which was always going to be a very tough job being adapted from a novel by Hunter S Thompson and technically having next to no strong plot.

The film itself is stunning, the locations are amazing and well shot, and the editing style and shots work brilliantly with the type of film and more importantly with Johnny Depp, who has a massive screen presence in everything he does, including 'The Rum Diary'.

This film has everything I want to see in a good movie, strong characters, great sets and brilliant comedy, along with meaning. It really makes you think about society and life nowadays and how primarily, nothing has changed in the way the world goes round and the sort of corruption and manipulation that still goes on today all around us, as it did back in the fifties, only less obviously.

On a lighter note, this film is hilarious and great to watch more than once, there is something rather satisfying about watch a man drink huge amounts of high octane rum and have to deal with the consequences the next morning, something that makes you happy its not only you.

Summary In all I thought this was a very enjoyable film for anyone to watch and have a good laugh at while loving everything about the characters. The acting is scintillating and exciting.

I highly recommend this film to all, one to watch ..... 7/10 Stars*

Lacks Coherency or Flair

[bkrauser-81-311064 · 5/10 · 28 October 2011]

The film begins with main character Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp) waking up in a luxurious hotel room in Puerto Rico after a heavy night of drinking. After chomping down a few aspirin, Kemp stumbles into the editors office of the San Juan Star and is given a dead end writing job. After a few chance encounters, Kemp becomes the center of intrigue and corruption while consuming copious amounts of alcohol.

"The Rum Diary" was originally a novella from the twisted mind of Hunter S. Thompson an eccentric journalist and novelist who in addition to smoking, snorting, injecting, drinking every drug, alcohol and carcinogen known to man, managed to change the face of journalism by calling it as he sees it. His writing can repel and enchant with equal measure and has a breakneck spontaneity which is rivaled by its frazzled incoherency.

Incoherency would be the best word to describe this film. The story lacks any kind of focus jumping from a love story, a corrupt land deal, drunken antics, workplace politics and racial tensions. Watching "The Rum Diary" was like talking to a drunk grad student; little flashes of genius may linger but after what seems like four hours you realize you're talking to a drunken idiot and looking for the door.

Thompson's other work adapted to screen shares a similar inconsistency but say what you will about "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" at least it was interesting. Director Bruce Robinson seems unsure behind the camera trying desperately to balance themes and while Terry Gilliam threw spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks, Robinson compensates by drawing out its screen time and keeping the camera-work and editing as dull and uninspiring as possible.

The films only saving grace is the inclusion of Giovanni Ribisi as a cirrhosis addled, syphilitic cohort who takes LSD while listening to records of Nazi propaganda. His arguments with the Star's head editor (Richard Jenkins) provide some of the few precious moments of humor.

The epilogue appears while Johnny Depp sails into the horizon explaining that while its the end of the story "...its the beginning of another." I would have liked to have seen the other story. At least by then the sardonic wit of Thompson was finally present.

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A review for people who don't know about Hunter S Thompson

[rooprect · 23 November 2013]

I'm one of the uncultured folks who never read a word of Hunter S. Thompson in my life. If that describes you, too, then read on.

The appeal of this film is geared toward the cult following of HST, capitalizing on the quirky "Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas" vibe that Johnny Depp created for the character. Apparently Depp was HST's friend in life, so we can expect a respectful, if not accurate, portrayal. Who knows if that's truly the case, but the Depp character is very likable and unique.

The character comes across as intelligent, always seeming to understand things 1 level deeper than everyone else; however he never comes across as condescending, judgmental or cynical. That's the real beauty to me. For example he can sit and listen to his friend, a drunken Hitler fan, say some pretty racy and racist things, and he doesn't say a word. But in that deer-eyed look that only Depp can do, we feel the comedy of the awkward situation without feeling the bitterness of, say, someone rolling their eyes or sighing in exasperation.

It's that innocent-yet-worldly approach that makes his performance such a treat to watch. The opening scene sets the character's tone for the entire film: he awakens in a hotel room looking like he had just spent the night drinking a small bathtub of booze. The locked mini bar has been ravaged as if by a pack of crazed ferrets. The room service guy stares in disbelief as Depp says, "I avoid alcohol" and then with that boyish smile "when I can." What can I say, that had me rolling right off the bat. The whole movie is somewhat low-key like that. There are no big punchlines, pratfalls or sight gags, but there are some absolutely classic moments like that which make you feel like you're part of an inside joke.

The story itself? Well here's where I do know something about the book: many things were changed, and the ending itself was watered down. But it's still entertaining with a message: it's the story of a lone crusader who uses the power of journalism to battle the corrupt commercial powers invading Puerto Rico. I have to admit that the ending left me a little unsatisfied but not because it was weak. I didn't like it because it sorta injected a clichéd, Hallmark-channel-type scene when this film is certainly not Hallmark-channel material. But really that was just a 30 second scene, and aside from that I thought the film was well presented.

Of course there will be comparisons to Terry Gilliam's "Fear & Loathing" which established the HST-Depp character and his surreal adventures. Hardcore Gilliam fans might be offended by the mimicry, but I thought it was well played in the same way I enjoyed Peter Hyams' film "2010" which was a fan-doomed followup to Kubrick's untouchable "2001".

"The Rum Diary" doesn't have quite as much surrealism & quirk, but it certainly has its fair share. There's a psychedelic drug-induced line about a man's tongue that had me in stitches. I won't spoil it, you gotta hear it for yourself.

If you're a casual fan of "Fear & Loathing" (or maybe even a hardcore fan, who knows), if you like early Depp characterizations like "Ed Wood", if you like existentialist comedies about people who seem to be adrift in their own isolated world with their equally outcast friends, you might want to check this out.

WARNING: One thing I didn't care for was the way it glorified cockfighting (all the characters seem to enjoy & profit from it). But at least there's no blood or mutilation shown, and the American Humane Association did monitor film production. Still it might be a little unsettling for people who don't like depictions of animal abuse.

For Johnny Depp fans.

[michaelRokeefe · 7/10 · 22 February 2012]

You have Johnny Depp in high quirkiness. A gorgeous woman in Amber Heard. A film devoted to the late journalist Hunter S. Thompson, who died in 2005. The story is set in the 1950s; Paul Kemp(Depp)is a New York journalist and yet successful novelist that is tired of the humdrum life he is living. Kemp decides to go to Puerto Rico, where he takes a job with a political, but unmotivated rag of a newspaper. The editor(Richard Jenkins), a booze-hound much like Kemp, assigns him the horoscope column and random tourist reports. Paul ends up rooming with an aging reporter, Sala(Michael Rispoli),who is definitely edging the end of his career. Paul sees both those that live in luxury and those that endure poverty and actually ends up making a business deal with a shifty businessman named Sanderson(Aaron Eckhart)and falls in love with his beautiful fiancé Chenault(Heard). It doesn't take long for the shaky business deal to spoil and the newspaper to hit the skids. Kemp leaves Puerto Rico a more experienced man. There is some awesome scenery, but a story line that won't appeal to all. Right before you start giving up on this movie...enters Miss Heard; a damn good reason to stick around. Also in the cast: Giovanni Ribisi, Julian Hollaway, Marshall Bell and Bill Smitrovich.

Johnny Depp's Homage to His Friend Hunter S. Thompson

[LeonLouisRicci · 7/10 · 22 February 2015]

A Labor of Love, Johnny Depp's Homage to Offbeat Journalist and sometime Novelist Hunter S. Thompson is Affectionate, Warm, and at the Same Time Desperate.

The Novel was Written Early in Thompson's Career when He first Discovered Alcohol and the need for Journalistic Integrity (that defined the writer's output).

Those Expecting the Hallucinatory Visuals and Bombastic, Outrage of Terry Gilliam's and Johnny Depp's take on the Author's most Popular Work, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"(1998) will most Likely be Disappointed. Critics and Moviegoers Reflected this resulting in Poor Box Office and Scathing Reviews.

The Strength of the Movie are the Words, the Dialog that is filled with Insights and Rhetorical Rage. Almost Every Scene is Riddled with Entertaining Oratorical Observations.

The Look of the Movie can't be Faulted as the Beauty of the Island is Contrasted with the Dehumanizing Poverty.

The Cast is Outstanding with Bravura Performances from Michael Siboli, Giovanni Ribisi, and Richard Jenkins. Amber Heard is the Eye Candy. Aaron Eckhart is the Capitalist Villain, a Role that is Not Very Demanding.

Overall, it is an Offbeat Movie that does not have Wide Appeal. Thompson Himself Struggled for Wide Appeal, while Maintaining His Integrity and Never quite got there, at least Not Until very Late in Life, as He Gained Respect and Admiration as a Cult Figure.

The Wordsmith was Given High Tribute by Depp as He Strove to get the Unpublished Novel in Print and the Movie Made.

It's an Odd Film that most likely will Gain in Reputation in the Coming Years when Expectations aren't so High and Knee-Jerk concerning the Long Awaited Novel and Movie.

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

[classicsoncall · 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.

Confused Narrative

[jtprius510 · 7/10 · 1 November 2011]

Somewhere towards the end, the narrative of Bruce Robinson's The Rum Diary loses faith in itself.

Up until this happened it felt so much more episodically close to its' novel adaptation, fast paced and fun but at a certain point the actors involved in The Rum Diary sort of start coming out of their characters.

Just an assumption, but Robinson's nostalgia for Terrance Gilliam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas must have been what forced him to gradually break away from his commitment to his own linear narrative. Throughout the first hour and a half we didn't have Hunter S Thompson narrating this story. And I don't think Robinson realized that until the last thirty minutes of the feature.

In Fear and Loathing Gilliam made a commitment to exploiting the drug abusing nature of HST. But Robinson couldn't do that as much in The Rum Diary and I think he wanted to, badly because that's what the last 30 minutes told me.

As much as Robinson wanted to make this journey through Puerto Rico hallucinogenic the novel he was trying to adapt didn't call for it. And all that from Fear and Loathing is probably what really inspired Robinson to direct The Rum Diary in the first place. So toward the end it's kind of like Robinson thought 'wait, we still haven't shown them enough surrealistic hallucinations narrated by Thompson so he tacked on another thirty minutes of a possible story line.

Up until that point we almost got somewhat of an authentic autobiographical epic of the late author obviously told from the perspective of someone besides. But that also meant by this point it was too late for the director to just suddenly turn over the narrative to Johnny Depp from behind the type writer of Thompson.

At this point I began to feel like the words coming out of Johnny Depp's mouth were not the words of HST.

If this was supposed to be a close adaptation to the book it didn't feel that way in the end.

Waste of time

[cineastFGD · 1/10 · 2 January 2015]

This movie can be summed up in one word: boring. There's no story line, no jokes, no drama, no excitement, the dialogues are shale, bordering, to the ridicule. The characters are shallow and predictable, clichés all along.

Depp is at his lowest, he seems like bored by himself. I've never seen him acting so lousy, he seems to have totally lost it. As for Amer Heard, the less screen time she gets the better. It's beyond me why she has been cast in the first place. It's obvious her talent lies with another movie genre with a more visual focus and very little dialogues.

A most disappointing experience. So spare yourself this disappointment and employ your time with a more useful endeavor. For example reading the book.

At the bottom of a glass, American dreams aren't cheap

[timothyhilditch · 6/10 · 15 January 2022]

A writer hits rock bottom and takes a job in the stateless state working for a failing newspaper. It's 1960 but that doesn't really matter for the plot. This movie starts excellently setting up the ex-patriots who call this island their tip. It's a unique plot with a mystery of where it's going, but half way through it decides to replace that with an addiction and jokes. Effectively turning it into a stoner comedy. The movie gets a hangover never to sober up again. Sure its funny at times but we lost all the momentum we started with.

Strangely flat and lifeless. Depp should stay away from vanity projects

[pfgpowell-1 · 5/10 · 24 December 2015]

Johnny Depp's vanity project The Rum Diary - 'vanity project' for that, at the end of the day is all it is - is based on a novel of the same name by Hunter S. Thompson Depp is said to have found among Thompson's belongings after the writer's suicide. The novel, completed in 1960 wasn't published until 1998 and, well, you have to ask yourself why. If the film of the novel is anything to go by I suspect it was simply because it wasn't very good. But as I have never read it, I can't tell you either way.

Mediocre novels have been turned into great films by great scriptwriters and directors. Unfortunately on this offering Bruce Robinson isn't one. Or if he is, he this is one occasion when he hasn't pulled it off. (Robinson made his name with his semi-autobiographical film Withnail & I, and I have to admit that didn't do too much for me either.) Depp has previously dabbled in Thompson's work with Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas. That didn't come off either, which suggests to me Depp has something of a blind spot where Thompson is concerned. And this is Robinson's first film as director in 19 years. That, too, should tell us something, and possibly something not particularly complimentary.

The film itself is oddly old-fashioned, in storyline, cinematography, direction and production. In the hands of another director Thompson's rather slight story might well have been turned to gold. Here it remains base metal. Almost everything about it, from the soundtrack to the dialogue, from the 'plot' to the humour - it has been billed as a comedy - is flat and lifeless and, well, mediocre. This kind of schtick was churned out weekly by journeymen writers and directors until the digital age changed what the punter wanted to see. Depp, it has to be said (and this is a personal view) always has an attractive screen presence even when the film he's starring in is third-rate (and I have seen him in some real clunkers - Blow comes to mind).

Amber Heard has virtually no role and I simply did not buy the romance between her character and Depp's. Michael Rispoli, Giovanni Ribisi, Aaron Eckhart and Richard Jenkins (who was excellent as the penny-counting hit-man's paymaster in Killing Them Softly) turn in workaday performances and do the best of a bad job given what little they had to work with. Situations which, I'm sure, were intended to raise a laugh do nothing of the kind. I really did want to turn off halfway through but held out in case it somehow went from second to third gear. But it didn't.

Sorry, Johnny, perhaps you should get better advice and listen to others rather than your own gut.

'Heres to Pretty women, with dirty thoughts'

[nells_place · 9/10 · 15 November 2011]

I adored the novel, The Rum Diary and as an aid worker I related to many of the character's struggles. Although the film does stray quite a bit from the book itself, I think it's a perfect homage to Hunter S Thompson. The language still reeks of his Gonzo fury writing and manages to transport the audience into a drunken rant, as well as secretly educating them on the struggles of a free press. It had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion, as well as the packed out cinema that I viewed it with.

I rated this movie a 9 and the last film I rated that high was The Shining. I personally think this film was perfect. The leading actress/actors were perfect and the supporting cast phenomenal, especially Giovanni Ribisi. The only problem with this film in my opinion is that if you are not a fan of the gibbering, artistically nervous tone of most of Thompson's work, this film may be too heavy for you. Although it's easier to follow that Fear and Loathing (which scrupulously stuck to the dialogue from the novel Fear and loathing), many would find the dialogue bizarre.

Personally I loved every minute of this film and think it's already truly underrated.

Enjoyable, Though Far From Perfect

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 28 April 2013]

American journalist Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp) takes on a freelance job in Puerto Rico for a local newspaper during the 1960s and struggles to find a balance between island culture and the expatriates who live there.

Let me just say up front that Giovanni Ribisi was the shining star of this film. He is often the highlight of those films he appears in, and it is a shame that people seem to know him by face but not by name -- this guy is a Hollywood treasure.

Beyond that, the film has a great cast (Depp, Heard, Jenkins) and that can make anything seem good. Some scenes were indeed quite good (the tongue scene, riding the destroyed car). Overall it seemed like the movie was lacking something though... not sure what, but something.

does not mix well, read the book instead.

[greene515 · 3/10 · 6 April 2014]

Depp is Journalist Paul Kemp who arrives in Puerto Rico to write for the The San Juan Star. Kemp Immerses himself in the island's rum-soaked lifestyle, Aaron Eckhart is the shady property developer who recruits Kemp to write favourable things about his latest scheme, and it's down to the journalist to take the money or the moral high ground... 'The Rum Diary has loads of attractive elements the director 'Bruce Robinson responsible for 'Withnail & i' the beautiful setting, the excellent and faultless production design.

The Tagline reads ''One part outrage. One part justice. Three parts rum. Mix well''. sadly this does not mix well, the screen adaptation of the late Hunter S. Thompson does hold one's attention with a superb cast Johnny Depp, Aaron Eckhart Richard Jenkins, Giovanni Ribisi and Amber Heard. the film would have been a far better experience if they perhaps were given a longer running time, the book was excellent but this adaptation is rather rushed, perhaps the cutting room floor has a lot to answer for?

bad representation of an amazing book

[jeremypb · 2 November 2011]

If you have had the pleasure of reading the great book from Hunter S. Thompson, "The Rum Diary" this film is not for you. And even if you did not read the book, this film lacks drama, cinematic style, character arcs, a hooking intro, and satisfying end. I am not sure if the writer/director Bruce Robinson spent the time to really READ the book. It's a DARK comedy, not a lighthearted love story. Hunter S. Thompson (played by Johnny Depp) was very depressed at the time, getting wasting, working minimal amounts, and having sex with any Puerto Rican girl that was interested. None of this was portrayed accurately in the film.

One key factor that Bruce Robinson screwed up was eliminating the character of Yemon, which was crucial in the book. Instead this Robinson combined three characters into two, which isn't true to the book and does not work on screen. Another factor missed was the bar Al's which played a big role in the book. This was the local bar in which all the works at the newspaper went to everyday and got wasted at. Besides the two lead characters in the film, all the workers were alcoholics and Robinson failed at exposing the working environment of the newspaper.

The ending of the book was tremendous; the boss Lotterman has a heart attack and dies when he thinks one of the employees was going to beat him up. Instead of using this great ending handed to him, Bruce Robinson steered away from that and it fell flat at the end.

All in all, when adapting a book like "The Rum Diary," you have to stay true to the heart (balls) of the story. Bruce Robinson missed the dark tone of the book, did not develop the characters and the environment to its fullest extent. On top of that did a terrible job of exposing the beautiful landscape of Puerto Rico, shooting everything much too tight not allowing the viewer to get a true feel of the surroundings and native people. Instead of wasting your ten bucks at the cinema sit down relax and read an amazing book by Hunter S. Thompson, "The Rum Diary."

Johnny is not funny... at least while I'm sober

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 3 September 2013]

Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp) is a drunkard American freelance journalist in 1960's Puerto Rico. He is desperate for work, and takes a job at a local paper. Sanderson (Aaron Eckhart) is a wealthy entrepreneur. Chenault (Amber Heard) is his incredibly hot girlfriend.

Bruce Robinson directed/wrote this film based on Hunter S. Thompson's novel. What follows is an alcohol filled manic Johnny Depp and a super hot Amber Heard slinking around. I just didn't find the characters that compelling. You may want to have a drink with them, but they'd be horrible to live with. Most of the quirky wacky going-ons are just not funny... at least not while I'm sober.

Johnny carries but story is bland

[damius-38357 · 6/10 · 4 May 2023]

Johnny is great as usual but the story is just dull and mediocre at best. Feels like theres not much there. Johnny carries the movie but even he can lift the weight of it all.

Also, the scene where Amber Heard goes to the bathroom on the bed is quite gross and unnecessary. She definitely didnt need to be in the movie at all. Her appearance is a bit of a dirty stain on the sheet of the film.

All in all, i wouldnt recommended due to the story. The story. The story just is meh. Yaknow. Thats about it. Just filling characters at this point. All in all thats about it. Yup. Id say thats about it. Thats about it.

Even the great Johnny Depp struggles to save this

[bowmanblue · 6/10 · 15 May 2014]

The Rum Diaries is based on another of writer Hunter S Thompson's books. Depp originally played the man himself in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and gained many fans, much kudos and critical accolade in the process. Therefore, it was fair to say that when people found out that Depp would, once again, be playing Hunter S Thompson, they expected more of the same.

How wrong they were.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a trippy, drug-fuelled, crazy, chaotic mess that only the talents of Terry Gilliam at the helm could really bring to the screen. It was mad and it worked. However, the Rum Diary falls at the first hurdle for being as far away from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as is possible to get.

First of all, it's described as an 'Action/adventure/drama/comedy.' That is a clue as to another of its failings. It has no idea what it wants to be. It borrows elements from all of those genres, but can never quite decide which one it wants to be and ends up being none of the above. There's not enough action, not enough comedy and no real drama. As for 'adventure' - I would describe an Indiana Jones film as an adventure. The Rum Diary is NOT Indiana Jones.

Johnny Depp is a master at playing larger-than-life characters, yet his version of Paul Kemp is pretty flat. The other characters all seem like they're just about to start being wacky, but the camera cuts away before they can truly shine.

Johnny Depp will always be one of the great modern actors of our time and The Rum Diary will do little to dampen his appeal. He just had an off day/film (or two off days if you've seen The Tourist). The Rum Diary just isn't interesting on any level. Too long. Too slow. Too unsure of itself. And when it does show signs of promise (and there are the occasional flares of the Depp/Thompson we want to see) it's too little too late.

http://thewrongtreemoviereviews.blogspot.co.uk/

Wish it showed the beauty of the book.

[blinke · 6/10 · 17 October 2013]

I loved the book, but this movie sort of let me down; it was more of a tribute to the man Hunter S. Thompson rather than his talent as a writer. Thompson wanted to write good fiction before he became one of the best known journalists in America. There were lines in the movie that weren't in the book but based on interviews Thompson did in real life. I mean, if you want to do a biographical film then write an original script rather than taking a work of fiction and entwining it with the real life figure. I wanted to see Paul Kemp, not Hunter S. Thompson as Paul Kemp.

I don't mind it when adaptation's aren't faithful to it's source, just as long as the spirit of the story is still there. The spirit of Rum Diary was lost in it's translation to film by substituting it with a simple tribute to the journalist Hunter S. Thompson. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas still stands as the best adaptation of Thompson's work thus far until another filmmaker gets on the saddle of Thompson's beautiful prose and rides wild.

Drear and Loafing

[skullislandsurferdotcom · 1/10 · 29 October 2011]

By the film's intentional anti-climax we learn that Hunter S. Thompson, who wrote THE RUM DIARY about his stint as a journalist in Puerto Rico in 1960, would go onto better things, taking on all the "bastards" he let slip by in his youth.

The problem is, there's none in this movie worth troubling over, or for the audience to root against. Which means Johnny Depp's Paul Kemp (Thompson with a fake name) has nothing for an audience to root for: other than he's a popular actor that played a pirate who loved rum, and so does this character. (Every time Depp mentions drinking, he's practically winking at the audience.)

Doing the same Walter Cronkite mumble from FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS, Johnny's performance is so low-key it hardly registers at all. His porky photographer sidekick Sala (Michael Rispoli) has more interesting and memorable qualities since he's sloppy and somewhat humorous. But in this film, there's a lack of anything meaningful beneath the surface... which is an existential odyssey misadventure, sort of... yet it sporadically plants a political flag; but other than clips of Nixon, or shots of poor people being exploited, there's nothing substantial to hold onto.

The "plot" has Kemp hired as a journalist at a fledgling Puerto Rico newspaper, with the task of making the country seem like an accessible tourist trap, and then conned by a millionaire to be his propagandist – a man who seems nice at first, but has his eyes on turning the gorgeous exterior into a real estate landmine. He has a sexy girlfriend who Kemp lusts after, leading to a brief romance more lacking in chemistry than the film does purpose.

As a Thompson fan, and having read his posthumous novel, it's a understandably difficult work to base a movie on. Making it that much more annoying when cinematic clichés – like the scruffy underdogs battling the greedy rich guys, or a drug trip that too easily propels a creative edge – are shoved at the screen: turning a subtle book never intended for publication into a ponderous film trying way too hard to make a point: whatever that might be.

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Boozed Up and lets be Hunter S. Thompson!!

[rollernerd · 6/10 · 20 August 2020]

Welcome to another edition of Adam's Reviews!! **queue in intro music**

Today's movie review is the movie adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's comedy-drama-boozed flick The Rum Diary (2011) starring the ever-versatile Johnny Depp as Paul Kemp who is a journalist seeking the truth in Puerto Rico. Throughout the movie the character who mutters in a low jarring voice, drifts away into the absurd as he finds himself as an unsung-hero while engaging as a full-time alcoholic but never seems particularly drunk. He uncovers corruption in the form of American greed to exploit Puerto Ricans and soon believes he can write a piece that will ultimately be his life's legacy.

Kemp crosses paths with a few individuals he can relate to including Bob Sala, his photographer sidekick who mingles with cock fighting and crazy Moberg who listens to Nazi related tunes. The three soon live together in a decrepit house in San Juan and go through hilarious adventures. Kemp soon finds himself drawn into a shady land development plot by Sanderson who is trying to capitalize financially by exploiting underdeveloped beach sites in Puerto Rico. To make things worse Kemp finds himself obsessed Sanderson's partner Chenault, played by the sensuous Amber Heard as a woman who is tired of her partner's wealth and ego and inexplicably drawn to Kemp's shabby life and disreputable friends.

So, what did I think of the film??? There is a true surface here as it is set in the 60's, including the low-down cars, the tunes including Cantare by Volaire, the tensions between the rich white Americans and native Puerto Ricans and the demise of the American dream. Having said that the film loses its edge and lacks the intensity while not driving character arcs and the director providing a deflated ending. I feel the filmmakers didn't capture the tone of the book and didn't develop the characters and the environment they introduce us to the full extent.

The core of what the director is trying to engage the audience in making you think about moral in society and regardless of which era you are in, nothing has changed in the way that people continue to do what they do. This includes the mixture of corruption and manipulation. Add this with high amounts of high-octane rum, the film is enjoyable in a sense that you start liking the characters. But the movie itself doesn't try to entertain you as the movie viewer. It is more relative to a TV movie that a motion picture flick. It borrows elements as the movie and character developments are flat as is the ending. Overall 6.5/10

changes too much from a great book

[absallo · 4/10 · 17 October 2011]

i love this book. i think its an inspired and incredible piece of fiction that perfectly captures the terror of aging and the loss of idealism as youth slides into middle-age. it is also nihilistically and anarchistically hilarious, describing kemps bizarre hedonistic adventures in 1960 san juan.

the movie, unfortunately, abandoned both of these key elements for the most part. instead of preserving the bleak hopelessness of the book, the film creates some bizarre Hollywood happy ending, and also turns the focus of the second half of the movie into kemp's quest for self-identification, which is boring, clichéd, and completely out of sync with the novel's original intention.

if you've never read the book, maybe this is entertaining, but, like most adaptations, it falls far short of the text.

The Movie That Johnny Depp Intended It To Be

[brookeb3393 · 10/10 · 3 November 2011]

It's important to remember why this movie was made. It is for Hunter S. Thompson. That was really Johnny Depp's main focus. His goal is never to make the number one movie. He doesn't want to be a box office star. He wants to make movies that mean something to him and that is exactly what he did with The Rum Diary.

With that said, he made a beautiful film for his late friend. He played Hunter S. Thompson so wonderfully and stayed true to his character. Johnny honored his friend in the best way that he could, and did a phenomenal job in my opinion.

Aside from the film's purpose, if I had gone to see this with no knowledge of it's back story, I still would have enjoyed it. It was funnier than I was expecting and there was romance throughout. I was definitely interested the entire two hours. It is worth the price of a ticket because as usual, Johnny Depp delivered.

A Tribute Well Paid

[shriharipandula · 7/10 · 26 February 2012]

There are 2 kinds of reviews that can be done for this movie. First, by those who have read Hunter already and second by those who choose to know Hunter after watching this movie. I am the second type. I haven't read any of Hunter's books and hence a pure movie critique this! A sensible movie well made by director Bruce Robinson. Johnny Depp central role of Hunter Stockton Thompson is totally justified. This is the kind of cinema any movie lover would want to cherish. What impressed me first is the different and detailed perspective of Puerto Rico by, should I say, a mainlander? The movie goes in it's own pace never to appear slow. But what influenced me most is the fact that this movie is so close to reality even to the present day and a pretty practical closure. Somehow, it made me happy. Now, I am in bit of a hurry to jot this down, as I need to watch more Hunter movies.

Very, very disappointing

[wolfbeast · 2/10 · 30 January 2012]

OK, I understand that for die-hard Johnny Depp fans, this is probably something they have looked forward to and can enjoy. While I enjoy the actor's performance in general, the movie as a whole is very, very disappointing.

It's a little hard to give a proper review on a movie that has, well, no real direction to the very sequential (I wouldn't call it "linear" because it's got too much randomness for it) events occurring in it. If not true to its title, it seems like whoever wrote the script or the book it was based on in a drunken stupor, going from one "adventure" into the next and shambling and swaying through it. There is no real binding plot, no "larger picture" that is interesting enough to be captivating, and it seems tied together with a far-fetched, almost haphazard thread to try and give it some semblance of coherence.

As said, the main actor's performance is enjoyable, which is a plus, but otherwise I wouldn't recommend it. A giggle or two, maybe, and suitable for in-flight entertainment or afternoon TV, yes, but not for much if anything else.