Barbouzes
As others have observed, it is not useful to review this movie on whether it follows or not the book that inspired it. We are reviewing a movie, and my opinion on any movie is shaped by these questions: "Is is engaging? Is it moving without pandering? Is it cinematographically driven? Do I learn something from the story? Do I feel smarter after watching it? Did I root for any character in the script? Is it entertaining in an intelligent way?" I must respond yes to all of that for Rum Diary. The script did suffer from too fast- or too flat- an ending, but it kept me engaged throughout and up to the last 3 minutes. There were comic moments, moments of beauty, and a very realistic thread. The atmosphere is superbly rendered: I could feel the sweat and the threats, and I could relate to the politics at stake. The plot lives by the Oscar Wilde line quoted by the Johnny Depp character at some point: "Some people know the price of everything and the value of nothing." I subscribe to that line, rooted for our lost journalist to find his way, and I enjoyed the escape for 90 min into a lush tropical 60s landscape.
Adam Peters
(62%) A solidly made, funny (sometimes very), yet still somewhat rambling, and beneath the surface it's a little hollow. Johnny Depp is fairly well cast in the lead, and uses both his good acting ability and comic timing in equal measure, and with the strong support from the likes of Aaron Eckhart, Richard Jenkins, the greatly underrated Giovanni Ribisi, and an oddly too beautiful Amber Heard all helping to make this a stronger film than the quite limited material has to offer. Despite this being a good twenty minutes or so over-long, it never really fails to either entertain or amuse. Overall a worthy watch, but nothing that really needs to be seen.
paul2001sw-1
Bruce Robinson directed the acclaimed cult movie 'Withnail and I'; Johnny Depp starred in the (also celebrated but, in my opinion, virtually unwatchable) film adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'. The idea that the former should direct the latter in another of Thompson's stories, 'The Rum Diary', is this either inspired or drearily predictable. In fact, it hasn't turned out too badly, a comedy drama with both elements handled reasonably well, although the story lacks real punch, the central character leaves it with a certain sense of moral purpose, but until that point, the plot basically ambles along for incidental entertainment value only. As with 'Fear and Loathing', a brief excerpt from Thompson's own writing is lent to the film to imbue with moral seriousness at the appropriate point (and it's strange that in both movies, moral seriousness is what the reprobate Thompson is quoted to invoke). Interestingly, this was Robinson's first film as a director for 19 years and as a screenwriter for 12; for someone so out of practice, it's not a bad effort.
Kieran Green
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?
AD
