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From Amazon.co.uk
Actor-producer Johnny Depp pays homage to his friend Hunter S. Thompson through this sprightly adaptation of the novelist's semi-autobiographical novel. Depp plays Paul Kemp, the booze-sozzled journalist who takes centre stage in Bruce Robinson's period comedy. Out of desperation, the New Yorker takes a job with a San Juan newspaper in 1960, where he reports to the cynical Lotterman (Richard Jenkins) and shares a squalid flat with laid-back photographer Sala (The Sopranos' Michael Rispoli) and the truly unhinged "crime and religion" reporter Moburg (a scene-stealing Giovanni Ribisi). The three Ugly Americans do their best to drain the island's rum supply until Kemp meets Aaron Eckhart's slick Sanderson, who recruits the writer to promote his real estate ventures, regardless as to the number of poverty-stricken Puerto Ricans his hotels will displace. Politically, Kemp leans left, but he needs the dough, so he accepts the offer, only to find the ultimate temptation in Sanderson's uninhibited fiancée, Chenault (the stunning Amber Heard). It's a tricky balancing act, but when the natives start getting restless, Kemp risks losing everything. If the conclusion feels anticlimactic, Robinson keeps the antic energy going through nerve-wracking car chases, balletic cock fights, and a hilarious acid excursion that recalls the hotel trip-out in Terry Gilliam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, to which Robinson's film serves as a less surrealistic cousin. If it isn't as certain to become a cult classic, like the director's equally inebriated Withnail and I, Depp and company always remain true to Thompson's irascible spirit. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Product Description
Actors: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Rispoli, Richard Jenkins
Director: Bruce Robinson
Manufacturer: Entertainment in Video
Director: Bruce Robinson
Manufacturer: Entertainment in Video
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By Valerie J.
Format:DVD
I really don't understand why some people don't rate this movie at all. It takes all sorts, I suppose. For me, The Rum Diary is an often hilarious drama and something a bit different for Johnny Depp who plays the role of Paul Kemp, an American journalist who goes to work for a small and struggling newspaper in the America owned island of Puerto Rico during the 1960s. Kemp says, at the job interview, that his c.v. is as phoney as his stories. Over all, the newspaper staff seem to be a dysfunctional lot surviving on booze and drugs, red-eyed Kemp included as he swigs back the rum and tries to fit into the local hispanic scene with little success. But, it's hard to keep out of trouble when you go falling for a rich man's wife (Amber Heard), and a crooked rich man (Aaron Eckhart) at that.
I thought I would never say it but, in this, there are times that Johnny Depp is not a pretty sight. There is one scene in particular that had me rolling in the aisles, so to speak. When he and a colleague are in a small car together, a couple of gringos being chased by nasty Puerto Ricans. I laugh as I type, at the memory of it. If you check the trailer on YouTube, it shows a bit of it.
Kemp's accommodation is garbage but Puerto Rico looks fun. I went there in the 90s and it wasn't half as lively. I must have checked into the wrong hotel.
I'm not in the least surprised to find that I enjoyed this movie because it was directed by Bruce Robinson who directed the classic and hilarious British movie, 'Withnail & I' (1987) as well as *Still Crazy (1998).
The Rum Diary movie is based on the book by Hunter S. Thompson, available at Amazon.
* Error - My mistake and I have been corrected by GlynLuke: Bruce Robinson didn't direct Still Crazy he starred in it.... Read more ›
I thought I would never say it but, in this, there are times that Johnny Depp is not a pretty sight. There is one scene in particular that had me rolling in the aisles, so to speak. When he and a colleague are in a small car together, a couple of gringos being chased by nasty Puerto Ricans. I laugh as I type, at the memory of it. If you check the trailer on YouTube, it shows a bit of it.
Kemp's accommodation is garbage but Puerto Rico looks fun. I went there in the 90s and it wasn't half as lively. I must have checked into the wrong hotel.
I'm not in the least surprised to find that I enjoyed this movie because it was directed by Bruce Robinson who directed the classic and hilarious British movie, 'Withnail & I' (1987) as well as *Still Crazy (1998).
The Rum Diary movie is based on the book by Hunter S. Thompson, available at Amazon.
* Error - My mistake and I have been corrected by GlynLuke: Bruce Robinson didn't direct Still Crazy he starred in it.... Read more ›
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By Ian Armer
VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD
Spoilers.
By 'flat' I mean there are no real spikes along the way to really hook you in. The Rum Diary is a film about finding your voice and yet in search of a voice of its own. Entertaining, yes, but weirdly lacking 'something' to make it all gel together.
Depp channels Hunter magnificently (again) and the plot bounces along at a spritely pace, but it is entirely without focus in telling the real story of how the fictional Paul Kemp became Hunter S. Thompson. The bastards win, pessimism prevails, there is lots of drinking and a few brief honest glimpses of what it is to be a writer (the unflattering description of Kemp's CV sums it up). Sandwiched into the proceedings is a 'go nowhere' romantic sub-plot, a slew of set-ups that are deliciously pulled out from under the viewer as everything falls apart and pedestrian, almost TV movie direction from Bruce Robinson. Seriously, if you missed it at the cinema, the television/home cinema experience won't detract.
On the plus side, it is well written. Bruce Robinson's script is literate and layered - maybe too layered with various plot strands - but The Rum Diary could almost be a prequel to Terry Gilliam's 'Fear & Loathing'.
The film leads you along but takes you to the one place you never expected - a marina theft for a gloomy finale. Try and throw your expectations out of the window when watching this, it might even benefit from a second viewing, because there are lots of hidden treasures in The Rum Diary - they're just obscured by a rambling, excessive plot that burns out and manages to turn this flaw into a redeeming feature. Watch it, you'll know what I mean!
By 'flat' I mean there are no real spikes along the way to really hook you in. The Rum Diary is a film about finding your voice and yet in search of a voice of its own. Entertaining, yes, but weirdly lacking 'something' to make it all gel together.
Depp channels Hunter magnificently (again) and the plot bounces along at a spritely pace, but it is entirely without focus in telling the real story of how the fictional Paul Kemp became Hunter S. Thompson. The bastards win, pessimism prevails, there is lots of drinking and a few brief honest glimpses of what it is to be a writer (the unflattering description of Kemp's CV sums it up). Sandwiched into the proceedings is a 'go nowhere' romantic sub-plot, a slew of set-ups that are deliciously pulled out from under the viewer as everything falls apart and pedestrian, almost TV movie direction from Bruce Robinson. Seriously, if you missed it at the cinema, the television/home cinema experience won't detract.
On the plus side, it is well written. Bruce Robinson's script is literate and layered - maybe too layered with various plot strands - but The Rum Diary could almost be a prequel to Terry Gilliam's 'Fear & Loathing'.
The film leads you along but takes you to the one place you never expected - a marina theft for a gloomy finale. Try and throw your expectations out of the window when watching this, it might even benefit from a second viewing, because there are lots of hidden treasures in The Rum Diary - they're just obscured by a rambling, excessive plot that burns out and manages to turn this flaw into a redeeming feature. Watch it, you'll know what I mean!
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By joy
Format:DVD
I also, as another reviewer said, don't get what people are complaining about. Maybe because it had an actual PLOT, people didn't find it enjoyable. Not enough sex and violence perhaps? Just intelligent dialogue and ideas set in an amusing way with some attractive yet real people playing the stars. IMHO it is the best j.Depp has done in a lonnng while. Bravo!
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A big commercial flop, this intelligent comedy was dismissed by the critics and ignored by the public, and yet I must say that I quite enjoyed it. It is based on a novel of the same name by the late journalist Hunter Thompson. Johhny Depp stars as Paul Kemp, an alter ego of Thompson (Depp had already played a character based on Thompson in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas).
Set in 1960, as the movie begins we see Kemp arriving in Puerto Rico in an alcoholic haze. After an interview with Lotterman, its editor, Kemp gets a job in an English language newspaper there that has seen better days. Kemp becomes pal with two other alcoholic reporters in the paper, the crazy Moberg and the cynical Sala. These three are soon living together in a decrepit house in San Juan and are involved in a series of humorous adventures. The closest thing this movie has to a regular plot is when Kemp is contacted by Sanderson, an enigmatic businessman (Aaron Eckhart, who is great). Sanderson introduces Kemp to various businessmen and politicians and wants to recruit him to write a puff job in the paper so that an island that serves as practice range for the military would be available for the construction of hotels. Sanderson has a very pretty girlfriend, Chenault (Amber Heard), who soon tries to seduce Kemp. Kemp eventually wants to write about the various corrupt plots he learns in the newspaper, but he is vetted the very cynical Lotterman, who doesn't want to rock the place, and instead thinks the newspaper should do soft pieces.
I'm not telling anything more about the movie, but it makes for a pretty entertaining film. It's intriguing to me that this film was not well received, perhaps for some it has too broad a style for a comedy, given the subject matter.... Read more ›
Set in 1960, as the movie begins we see Kemp arriving in Puerto Rico in an alcoholic haze. After an interview with Lotterman, its editor, Kemp gets a job in an English language newspaper there that has seen better days. Kemp becomes pal with two other alcoholic reporters in the paper, the crazy Moberg and the cynical Sala. These three are soon living together in a decrepit house in San Juan and are involved in a series of humorous adventures. The closest thing this movie has to a regular plot is when Kemp is contacted by Sanderson, an enigmatic businessman (Aaron Eckhart, who is great). Sanderson introduces Kemp to various businessmen and politicians and wants to recruit him to write a puff job in the paper so that an island that serves as practice range for the military would be available for the construction of hotels. Sanderson has a very pretty girlfriend, Chenault (Amber Heard), who soon tries to seduce Kemp. Kemp eventually wants to write about the various corrupt plots he learns in the newspaper, but he is vetted the very cynical Lotterman, who doesn't want to rock the place, and instead thinks the newspaper should do soft pieces.
I'm not telling anything more about the movie, but it makes for a pretty entertaining film. It's intriguing to me that this film was not well received, perhaps for some it has too broad a style for a comedy, given the subject matter.... Read more ›
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3.2 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Okay Film
The film is okay. Not one I would watch over and over but Johnny looks good in it. Can't get enthusiastic about films with guys getting drunk and behaving stupidly!
Published 1 day ago by Diana Mather
5.0 out of 5 stars
brilliant
watched it 3 times, acting is great, story is great, and the fact that its based on a true story is really inspiring.
Published 19 days ago by Angelo Master
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rum punches
Anyone familiar with past efforts to film Hunter S. Thompson's work will know that the results have been something of a mixed bag - which could be putting it mildly. Read more
Published 22 days ago by Dr Gonzo
5.0 out of 5 stars
Would watch it again and again!
Exellent service from Amazon, arrived really quickly.
Saw this originally at the cinema and it was even funnier 2nd time around. Read more
Saw this originally at the cinema and it was even funnier 2nd time around. Read more
Published 1 month ago by JulesM
3.0 out of 5 stars
DVD
This movie was a bit of a let down, I found it boring and tedious, it felt like it was almost all filmed in boring studio sets and I didn't engage with it at all.
Published 1 month ago by alex david younger
4.0 out of 5 stars
fun and romantic
really enjoyable funny with a touch or romance - don't know why not appraciated by the critics + + +
Published 2 months ago by macmac
3.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing.
If you are a fan of Withnail and I and also Hunter S. Thompson, then you will be unfortunately disappointed. As a film in general I think it is good and has some great scenes.
Published 2 months ago by Adam
1.0 out of 5 stars
Read the book
I read the book and saw that this film had good reviews. I don't know why, because compared to the book, which is excellent, this film adaptation is just not up to scratch. Read more
Published 2 months ago by R B W
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
Excellent service, items received quickly. Would defo recommend the service to anyone wanting to buy DVD's and add them to their collection.
Published 2 months ago by Elliott
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Rum Diary DVD
This DVD came sealed and in tip top condition, its the first item I have purchased and am completely satisfied with my order
Published 2 months ago by Naomi
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