“Rum Diary” is the highly anticipated film adaptation of the novel written by the much worshipped, or at least repeatedly “toasted/toked,” counter-culture journalist/novelist Hunter S. Thompson. Fans of “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” will be pleased with the over-the-top, yet inventive, substance abuse antics of its characters and those viewers used to a more conventional plot will be able to follow pleasantly, and coherently, along with its narrative structure.
This film is laugh-out-loud funny and at times, a poignant commentary on how mainstream culture of the 1960s really did “win” in a lot of ways, bringing us barreling into the present day with the global financial debacle we are navigating. The novel was adapted for the screen by the Writer/Director Bruce Robinson. Paul Kemp (played by Johnny Depp) is a journalist, and unpublished novelist, who takes a position at a San Juan newspaper. Assigned the job of writing the daily horoscope, trouble soon finds Kemp in the form of the bottle and when he meets an affluent businessman named Sanderson (Aaron Eckhardt) and his girlfriend Chenault (Amber Heard).
The only element lacking, or perhaps overwhelming, in this film is the insatiable desire it creates to have more. Not more boozing but more of the story of what was going on in San Juan politically in 1960; this is touched on briefly when Kemp arrives at the newspaper while workers picket the streets. More of a character in Chenault, who looks and moves well, but the audience isn’t given any understanding of what motivates her, making it hard to care about her leaving San Juan, or understand what Kemp sees in her, other than the blatantly obvious.
More background is needed in terms of what is at stake so we understand that the local men Sanderson chases from his “private beach” are not leering at his girlfriend, well perhaps a little, but they are bewildered because they have no concept of the idea of a private beach. They would be surely also against the idea of an island destination near-by Puerto Rico that acts as a money-laundering and law-free banking zone that Sanderson is deftly brokering by bringing the money men together while suppressing the media with favors and confidentiality agreements.
This context would help us understand the tragedy implicit in Kemp and his friends being unable to unearth this story of usery as the San Juan paper folds, even the equipment being taken away so Kemp et al can’t even hijack it for one last, very special edition. Moburg (Giovanni Ribisi) and Sala (Michael Rispoli) stand by and watch as Kemp sails away. The corruption they’ve witnessed, just as expansive as the horizon but could have been more affecting even with very good performances and stellar writing.
DIRECTOR: Bruce Robinson SCREENWRITERS: Bruce Robinso PRODUCERS: Christi Dembrowski, Johnny Depp, Tim Headington, Graham King CAST: Johnny Depp, Giovanni Ribisi, Aaron Eckhart MPAA RATING: R
