Based on the book written by the late Hunter S. Thompson, “The Rum Diary” captures the Gonzo journalist at perhaps his earliest point in life which came to define his style of writing. Johnny Depp plays Jack Kemp, but as he did with Raoul Duke in Terry Gilliam’s “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” he is essentially channeling Thompson who he had befriended years ago. It also marks Bruce Robinson’s first directorial effort in 19 years (the last being “Jennifer 8″).
Kemp is a rootless journalist who has come to Puerto Rico to write for The San Juan Star. Having had his fill of New York and the Eisenhower administration, he longs to escape to a paradise which didn’t make him feel his age. But as beautiful as it is, there is an ugliness that cuts away at the façade which the other newspaper employees escape from through drugs and alcohol, especially rum. Kemp also comes across American businessman Sanderson (Aaron Eckhart) who wants Kemp to write a favorable report on his latest greedy scheme to turn Puerto Rico into a paradise for the wealthy. Soon Kemp will have to decide if he wants to use his words to help Sanderson or expose him for the “bastard” he is.
No other actor can successfully emulate the brilliant craziness of Thompson like Depp. Unlike in “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” Depp’s Hunter-esque character of Kemp is a little more down to earth (but that’s only saying so much). Having been freed albeit temporarily from those “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, he gives one of his best performances in a while as he takes Kemp from the highs of chemical dependency to show a more vulnerable side as he falls for Sanderson’s fiancée Chenault (the wonderfully luscious Amber Heard).
The movie also features several terrific performances from the supporting cast. Michael Rispoli is great fun as photojournalist Bob Salas who is Kemp’s first real friend in Puerto Rico. Richard Jenkins never lets that wig he’s wearing upstage him as newspaper editor Edward J. Lotterman. Aaron Eckhart finds the right balance with Sanderson as he charms everyone around him and yet hints subtlety at the vicious businessman hiding beneath the surface. But Giovanni Ribisi almost steals the show as Moberg, a hygienically challenged religion reporter always under the influence of some kind of narcotic.
Robinson also wrote the screenplay and revels in each character’s bizarre eccentricities. These are some of the more unusual people that have been missing from most movies in 2011. Things do drag a bit towards the end, and I wish he would bring more of that manic energy Gilliam brought to his Thompson adaptation, but he has managed to make a movie most Hollywood studios rarely (if ever) greenlight these days.
“The Rum Diary” may be a story from the past, but one of rich people displacing native citizens for their own wealthy benefit is not something lost on American audiences these days. The paranoia-filled philosophies of certain characters make the advancement of the Tea Party seem not as big a surprise in hindsight. But as pummeled as Kemp gets, you believe that he will get the “bastards” with words, and that his words will bruise his most unforgiving enemies. We all yearn for someone to stick it to the man, and Depp gives us a man who can and did just that. Seeing him back in Hunter S. Thompson’s realm is a real treat.
* * * out of * * * *
See also:
“Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson”
Johnny Depp in His Most Rebellious and Creative Roles
“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” – Jack Sparrow Isn’t Finished Yet!