The Rum Diary [2011]

I hated “Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas”, which featured Johnny Depp as gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson. While I admired his character, I had no patience whatsoever for his drug addiction. “The Rum Diary” is yet another autobiographical Thompson novel, about his younger days; it’s “Fear and Loathing” without heavy drugs, fueled more by alcohol (rum in particular), which is why I had a better time watching it. The setting this time around is Puerto Rico in 1960, where Depp plays Thompson’s alter ego Paul Kemp, a young New York journalist working for a local newspaper. He spends most of his time with fellow reporter Michael Rispoli, and a lunatic ex reporter, played by an amazing Giovanni Ribisi. He also attracts the attention of Aaron Eckhart, an American businessman, and his girlfriend, Amber Heard. You might think that Depp is too old for this shit. After all, Thompson wrote his novel when he was only 22. But only an actor as skillful as Depp could have pulled this off. That he did. And that, I’m happy to say, is what makes “The Rum Diary” worth watching, even though the film is most riveting in its earliest scenes. Plot wise, there isn’t much to say really. This a movie that clearly relies more on the atmosphere (in this case Puerto Rico) than the actual story. Writer director Bruce Robinson brings the period of the 60’s to life with skill and an incredible eye for detail. I’m well aware that it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I found it interesting and thoroughly entertaining. I certainly like this version of Hunter S. Thompson better than the one from “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”. But that’s just me.

Rating: 2.5/4