Spawning from one of my favourite books by one of my top authors, Hunter S. Thompson, The Rum Diary follows American journalist Paul Kemp who takes a job at a local newspaper in Puerto Rico. Johnny Depp plays Mr. Kemp and does it in slightly similar fashion to the character he played in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Fear and Loathing is based on an actual trip Hunter Thompson took to Las Vegas and the movie is sort of a mirror image of the goings on on the vacation, and the Rum Diary is loosely based on Thompson's life in Puerto Rico.
This film is certainly entertaining and it has its share of hysterical moments, but the movie never really did anything. By this I mean the director, Bruce Robinson just kept introducing new story plots you could say, before the previous story line could wrap up. It seemed as if the screenwriter just tried cramming an entire novel into a two hour production, but clearly did not have any sense of doing so clearly. If they had focused on one story plot at a time and not jump around all over the place, I would have left this movie more satisfied. Unfortunately because of this, I am only crediting this film a measly 5/10. Check out the book, it's a quick read and true to the famous Gonzo style of Hunter Thompson's writing before you feel you should watch this movie.
If you had a chance to see Rum Diary this past weekend, feel free to leave a comment about what you thought!
Here's a trailer for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, featuring Gary Oldman (JFK, Harry Potter) and Colin Firth (The King's Speech, Pride and Prejudice), amongst others, set to release in theaters early December. What do you think?
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