The Rum Diary
The Rum Diary manages to successfully capture the spirit of the source material - even if the result is a scattered piece of filmmaking.
For anyone familiar with writer Hunter S. Thompson , it ’s especially appropriate that role player Johnny Depp is headlining the author ’s late novel - turned - cinema adaptation , The Rum Diary- as both men are known for especially vivid ( and bizarre ) work moral principle . Depp limn some of the most oddball and intricate fictional character in Hollywood and Thompson is credited as the founder of Gonzo Journalism - an approach to report where the author in reality tosses objectivity ( and sometimes fact ) out the windowpane and directly engages with the various lifestyles and personalities at the center of a account ( to get at a larger " the true " ) .
However , does the celluloid version of Paul Kemp , the fabricated main character inThe Rum Diarywho also becomes enveloped in his job , offer an intriguing and cinematic look at the printed generator cloth as well as make use of the stable of filmmaking gift that brought the motion-picture show to the filmdom ?
FortunatelyThe Rum Diaryis mostly an entertaining version of Thompson ’s story - though , much like the book , few of Kemp ’s actual risky venture work together to build a cohesive tale . alternatively , the motion-picture show plays out like a series of " moment " - which , by the last , may not provide the kind of payoff that some moviegoers might be anticipate . We accept this kind of partition in book , as we savor in the written language , but there is n’t enough visual panache inThe Rum Diaryto at long last work the same magic on cover .
The Rum Diaryadaptation , for anyone loosely familiar with the leger , follows the fancied character ( and diary keeper ) Paul Kemp as he tires of his sprightliness in New York and travels to San Juan , Puerto Rico to work as a reporter ( Thompson also worked as a San Juan journalist during the 1960s ) . Kemp exemplifies Thompson ’s predilection for reporters who get too caught up in the story they are chase - as the bracing - off - the - plane American speedily engages in a series of steep and bibulous mischance . However , despite his penchant for drinking , Kemp is seek out by Hal Sanderson , a local businessman ( play by Aaron Eckhart ) who wants to use the author ’s talents for an enterprise that is n’t strictly sound . His time with Sanderson also puts Kemp in close-fitting proximity with the stage business tycoon ’s fiancé , Chenault ( Amber Heard ) - who is specially alluring to the newsperson .
Depp carry the project with his usual bent for quirky characters and comedic timing but the overarching photographic film gets bogged down by attempting to provide film versions of the most pivotal ( and a few psychedelic ) conniption from the novel - even if they have niggling meaning in the context of the storyline that is put at center microscope stage by the filmmakers . As a result , yield the deficiency of a cohesive through line , it ’s not surprising thatThe Rum Diaryis actually the first plastic film from director Bruce Robinson ( Withnail and I ) in 19 age ( he also wrote the screenplay ) . dissatisfactory vital reaction to his last two projects cause him to withdraw and focus on pen instead .
This is n’t to say thatThe Rum Diaryis a failure , because it ’s really an enjoyable flick - but the movie falls short of either a profound version of Thompson ’s al-Qur’an ( mind bending warts and all ) or a dumbed down version with a clear narrative focus . As a outcome , Robinson ’s attempt at finding a middle ground forThe Rum Diaryrobs the story of much of its original penetration while also fail to deliver a solid procession of interconnected events .
Johnny Depp is heading ‘Into the Woods’
As name , Depp offers a solid performance as Kemp that , in spite of all the rum drinking , bears small resemblance to his all - too - familiar Jack Sparrow shtick . The actor still gets a number of cartoonish moments ( as a result of his consideration ) but for the most part , offers a solid focal full point in a motion-picture show that features a myriad of oddball characters run around . The chemical science between Chenault and Kemp is amazingly raw , render that the story revolves around a " love at first mass " motive - and Heard , in cattiness of modified filmdom meter , manages to showcase a couple of unlike sides to her character . That said , despite what audiences will see on screen ( as a consequence of the performances ) , the relationship between the two characters is given very minuscule time to develop , and by the end , totally bypasses any emotion or side effect from the various office the pair endures . There are very few " elusive conversations " inThe Rum Diary- as many altercations devolve into passive hostility or happen entirely off sieve .
Most of the other performances get the job done , but despite a robust source cloth , appear as simply quirky caricatures in the terminal plastic film : Aaron Eckhart ’s Hal Sanderson is a smooth - talking but devouring businessman that owns a bedazzled turtleneck , Giovanni Ribisi ’s Moberg is a filthy drunkard who listens to records of Hitler speeches , and Richard Jenkins ' Edward J. Lotterman is a no - nonsense newsperson who is extra sore about his toupe . As book eccentric , the role grow and reform in our mind ( as Thompson fleshed them out Thomas Nelson Page after page ) but , in the film world , they do n’t switch or offer additional penetration - or else , they merely pretend as springboards that labor Kemp in different directions . Only Michael Rispoli ’s portraiture of a fellow newsperson , Bob Sales , offer a unique and compelling addition to the independent casting - providing some of the film ’s most entertaining moments .
The Rum Diarymay be a tough sell - as devotee of the book will likely find that the film give way to catch some of the more profound ideas acquaint in the printed version and adult audiences looking for an entertaining trip to the moving picture theatre may see the overarching story to be somewhat disappointing by the ending . However , with a number of intriguing performances ( specifically Depp and Rispoli),The Rum Diarymanages to successfully capture the disembodied spirit of the source material - even if the result is a confused slice of filmmaking .
Johnny Depp and Michael Rispoli traveling around San Juan
If you ’re still on the fence aboutThe Rum Diary , crack out the trailer below :
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Chenault (Amber Heard) and Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp) in ‘The Rum Diary’
The Rum Diaryis now in dramatic art .
The Rum Diary is a picture show adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson ’s novel , featuring Johnny Depp as journalist Paul Kemp . fix in sixties Puerto Rico , Kemp encounters rottenness and moral dilemmas while working for a local newspaper . The film explores topic of idealism , love , and disillusionment against a backdrop of political and societal tension .
