“Your tongue is like a accusatory giblet!”
Hunter S. Thompson, illustrious American author, is the mind behind this wacky adventure, set in 1960s Puerto Rico, where a boozy journalist called Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp) hopes to find inspiration and success at a failing local newspaper.
Known for his bamboozling stories, Thompson also wrote Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (also starring Depp), which was a wild and zany flick. The Rum Diary has less of the “tripping” that FALILV had, and a little more mainstream appeal. First of all, the sunny beach locations are a visual delight, offering some amazing backdrops to this funny tale. Also, Depp’s character is more understandable and relatable.
The plot fights it way through drunken stupors and manages to find some sense of cohesion, whilst the outrageous antics of the local inhabitants provide for more than a few laughs. A particular favourite is when Kemp blows alcohol through a flame in order to scare off aggressors, only to ignite the hat of a local cop!
Whilst the comedy is superb in places, and the performances are decent, the film lacks a degree of depth. Rather than offering poignant comments about modern society, the film seems happy to make redundant ones about a past life. Kemp’s redemption by the end of the film seems insincere (even though it is based on Thompson), and life in Puerto Rico seems tragically unchanged by his arrival.
This being said, The Rum Diary is a fun film, one with visual splendour and brilliant comedic set pieces, and some wonderfully witty lines - its just not as appealing as Fear and Loathing.
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