Ryan McNeil
I can’t help but believe that what plays well loaded doesn’t always play the same sober. The jokes aren’t as funny, the danger isn’t as dangerous, and nobody is nearly as profound. That’s not to say that recounting the soused thoughts and actions can’t be entertaining or enlightening, just that they tend to carry a “you had to be there” asterisk. So right this moment I will admit that there is a very real possibility that I was far too sober to fully fall for the antics of THE RUM DIARY – and likely too sober to be writing this review. But there was no disclaimer on the ticket stating “For Maximum Enjoyment, Consume At Least Four Daiquiris Before Watching”…so the sober reaction is what I’m giving.
THE RUM DIARY is the story of Jack Kemp (Johnny Depp) – who is an alter ego of notorious journalist Hunter S. Thompson. Kemp is a hard-drinking writer still trying to find his footing in the world. He has come to San Juan in search of a job and a story. The story will come to him eventually, but as the film opens, we see him land the job: Writing half-assed horoscopes for The San Juan Star.
From the get-go, we see that The Star is a dubious place to work. The editor-in-chief Lotterman (Richard Jenkins) doesn’t lead his team so much as he endures them. The office has omnipresent protestors outside its front door thanks to malcontented local workers who were locked out. And the staff includes an eccentric writer who is usually dressed in a bathrobe named Moberg (Giovanni Ribisi), who only ever seems to be in the office to pick up his pay.
Offering a respite from the insanity of The Star is Sanderson (Aaron Eckhart), and American businessman who has read the tea leaves on the state of Puerto Rico and is using it for every financial advantage he can get. He takes a shining to Kemp, believing him to be the sort of writer who can help his efforts to circumvent legalities and continue to financially exploit the natural riches of The Caribbean. Ordinarily, Kemp would probably quickly say “Thanks, but no thanks”…however, working for Sanderson offers certain fringe benefits – such as palling around with his lovely girlfriend Chenault (Amber Heard).
THE RUM DIARY is a messy film that manages to get just a bit more right than it does wrong. The film is dotted with a lot of dry wit and screwball moments that play for good laughs. Leading the charge through this assault of debauchery is Johnny Depp, who plays Paul Kemp as a wittier Don Draper. He spends the story at various levels of drunkenness, and consistently evokes laughs with his silent facial reactions and his deadpan delivery.
Depp is given a wonderful stage to entertain us from, as indeed Puerto Rico is captured splendidly in the film. That’s not to say that they’ll be using this movie as a tourism ad anytime soon (I quite highly doubt that). What’s interesting about many of the scenes is how the roads and crowds seem so dense, that you wonder how anyone is able to move. All the same, it doesn’t instill a feeling of claustrophobia…just a notion to grab a bottle and keep elbowing your way through. From the dark and dangerous dive bars to the perfect high-class beaches, everything is painted with a sun-soaked brush that only the authenticity of shooting on location could achieve.
One element of the film that I was left unsure of is the work of Amber Heard as Chenault. In fairness, the character doesn’t have a whole lot to do beyond float in and out of scenes and entice Kemp…but Heard never builds on that in any way. She’s undoubtedly the sort of beauty that would turn every head at a party, but I think if she’s tried to give the upper class woman she’s playing a little bit more sophistication and grace, she might have been able to do something more with her brief time in the film.
But perhaps what makes the film seem most off-kilter is the imbalance between rum-soaked adventures, and anti-establishment journalism. The film never gets the mix quite right, and hands the viewer drink with too much rum and not enough orange juice (not that that’s always a bad thing). We are amused to no end with Kemp’s antics in Puerto Rico, but we are eternally unclear with what has brought him there or what he hopes to achieve. In the film’s final act, he begins speaking like a revolutionary – think Che Guevara holding a lowball – but what he wants to revolt against, and why is sadly unclear.
The film is the first directorial effort from Bruce Robinson (WITHNAIL AND I) in almost twenty years. As with his previous three films, he has likewise penned the screenplay. I believe the balance of a cohesive story was in the material somewhere, and that Robinson was overmatched in extracting it. After two decades on the sidelines fighting writer’s block and one’s own addictions, I don’t think this was the best place to dive in. Robinson does bring a lot of energy and joy to many moments in the film, but the connecting tissue doesn’t hinge everything quite right, leaving much of the story feeling rather disjointed.
While there was enough to this film for me to enjoy it, I can’t help but believe that it is conclusive proof that the Gonzo Journalism of Hunter S. Thompson is not material well-suited for adaptation. The man’s writing is wonderful, honest, and just a little insane. His experiences are non-linear and inebriated, making for stories that seem more like a wild week in San Juan than an actual plot. While the look of the film is handsome, and Depp is more charming than we’ve seen him in quite some time, the story of this movie is probably best left on the printed page.
I read the novel a few years ago and I didn’t think it would adapt to the big-screen very well. With that said Depp seems quite adept at playing Thompson’s alter egos.
Depp is fantastic in this film and avoids just doing a FEAR & LOATHING rehash. But having read (and enjoyed) the book myself, I totally agree – it’s not all that adaptable.
That might have doomed this project right off the draw.
The film meanders a lot, it may be interesting on the page, but didn’t quite work on the screen unfortunately.
Well, it’s at least better than watching another Captain Jack Sparrow movie.
I hear what you’re saying. When the math is all tallied, I think it works out less than the sum of its parts…but some of those parts are pretty darned good!
Thanks for reading.
Boasts a highly impressive cast and contains some great touches, but it’s too long by a half hour and meanders severely in its second half. Nice review.
Thanks Dan! We actually discuss some of the film’s meanderings a bit more in the newest Matineecast, which has been embedded in the sidebar and should be availible on iTunes shortly!