This is a great movie dedicated to all the bastards. I really liked the play of the trio of journalists-buharics, Johnny Depp reaches new heights of acting.
There are such films-crutches for our lives. We sit on the couch and dream of going somewhere. But at the same time we know for sure that “somewhere” we will not go, and even if we go, we will sit on the couch of the hotel and travel on long-paved, stable and understandable excursions. And then they come to our aid - 2 hours filled with continuous adventures, identity, emotions and experiences. And also the waves, the beach, the expensive and luxurious life, the masculinity of Depp and the sensuality of Amber Heard.
And as for me, guys, I believe them. I believe, from the moment when the screams of the raging crowd and tomatoes bursting, the hero enters the editorial office, and to the moment when he goes on a sailboat to the ocean. I believe, and like a cloud plunge on my trip to Puerto Rico. Alcohol blurs boundaries. Paul drinks and you get drunk with him. Catch this wave of carelessness, laziness, coastal heat, the strong smell of cigars, the loud sounds of an unfamiliar language. You're willing to have nothing with him but these two glasses of rum for yourself and your friend, except for the beautiful woman you're already in love with... and everything. And then, as patterns in a kaleidoscope or slides in the tour presentation, events are superimposed: negotiations and fights, chases, carnivals, dancing and music, dinner on board a sailboat, a flight by plane to a desert island, a local prison, local entertainment, a witch and ... we have two rums and two beers. In addition, their constant lack of money especially pleases the budget tourist.
Perhaps the author wanted to say much more, for example, to raise the problem of the poor and the rich, or, say, the topic of the harm of alcohol to the body, but the credits go, you lift your eyes from the screen and realize that you have just returned from an exciting adventure. The head is still humming from drunk rum, and salt splashes on the body. But a good rest is what a seasoned traveler needs.
To be honest, I watched this movie only now, in 2020, although the film was released in 2011. And I was pleasantly surprised. I am not a big fan of Johnny Depp, but I recognize his acting talent: a guy can play anyone.
The script of the painting “Roma diary” is very similar to the story of Sergei Dovlatov “Reserve”, only adjusted for the American socio-cultural code. A loser writer who naturally drinks (think of Dovlatov’s “Reserve”) arrives in Puerto Rico in the early 1960s to earn a living as a journalist in a local English-language newspaper. By chance, the journalist gets acquainted with the local tycoon (Aaron Eckhart) and his young companion (played by the brilliant Amber Heard), with whom, of course, falls in love. The viewer gets acquainted with the adventures of the journalist in 1960s Puerto Rico, which is dominated by American influence, constant drunkenness and relationships with the local power broker and his beautiful companion.
This film is nice: you look at the beautiful views of the sunny sea coasts, poor neighborhoods of Latin American cities and villages, a slight intrigue in the relationship between a journalist and a girl (Amber Heard). It is not surprising that actress Amber Heard in the life after this film married Johnny Depp (then, however, the couple divorced).
For those who are tired of seeing Depp as Captain Jack the Sparrow (the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise), the eccentric characters in Tim Burton’s films, this film will perfectly brighten up an evening over a glass of wine (preferably paired with a loved one), especially at this time of self-isolation.
Life as a glass of alcohol is beautiful, juicy, delicious, but sooner or later, empty.
A unique phenomenon in the history of world literature was the journalist Hunter S. Thompson, several of whose works I had the honor to meet. The uniqueness is that all his works are, in fact, an incoherent set of sentences born in the bowels of an alcohol- and drug-soaked brain that barely fits into a book, in which there is no sense, but people around the world still consider him and his books “masterpieces”, it is not clear why, so they also make films. "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" I frankly didn't like, precisely because it's just the senseless adventures of two drug addicts. I was also skeptical of the Rum Diary, knowing from whose novel it was written, but the result was the opposite.
Rum Diary tells us about a young journalist Paul Camp, who escapes from his life in New York and gets a job in a seedy newspaper in Puerto Rico. He ponders his life and meets the locals. I really liked the movie.
First of all, because of the atmosphere. Here all the characters drink and smoke all the time, without letting the glass out of their hands. But you can feel why this is happening. Here they seem to live in paradise: Puerto Rico, beaches, sunshine, girls, endless drinking; live and rejoice. But you realize that all the heroes, including Camp, are losers who are disappointed in their lives and do not know why they live. They all hide behind the alcohol they drink all the time. I don't know how the creators got there, but I actually got a sense of the moral decline of the characters. That’s how many films I’ve never seen in my life, only in this film I was able to fully understand the alcoholism of the characters. I didn't even want to judge them.
All the characters are colorful and good. The main character is played, logically, by Thompson's friend, Johnny Depp. Everyone knows him as Jack Sparrow and I think they sometimes forget that he is a good actor without him. This film confirms this, because Depp’s character is independent and does not look like either Sparrow or even Raoul Duke. Camp's friend, Bob Sala, is the main generator of humor, such a charismatic and cool uncle, I can't even remember when I saw him. The character of drunken alcoholic Moberg is also very memorable.
The plot in the film is interesting. No, it certainly does not contain any twists, strong dramas and morals with philosophy. On the other hand, it's not that drug madness from Fear and Hate. The plot of the film is very even, unhurried, which shows several weeks from the life of a failed journalist, with all the joys and losses, periodically, interrupted by Paul’s philosophical thoughts about life. The film ranges from drama to comedy, but does so in a balanced way. I was very excited to watch the movie from beginning to end.
You can't forget the book. I saw her passages and realized that it was Thompson with his crazy worldview of lust, alcohol, etc. Against this background, the film is even smoothed out and turned out softer and more legible, which makes me even wonder why Depp decided to change the plot of the work so much, if he is a friend of Thompson. But I think it's better, at least you can watch "Roma Diary."
And to be honest, I did have a couple of questions about the plot: 1. Why does Bob tell Paul that no one else wants to get into their paper when, as I understand it, Puerto Rico is a "hedonist's paradise" - endless alcohol, girls, beaches and the sun, the sea. Is such a place, on the contrary, should not attract all sorts of burners of life and lazy people, of whom there should be many? 2) If their newspaper is on the verge of closing and even the editor realizes it, why is he even hiring a new employee and paying him a hotel? (3) Why does Paul lie on his résumé that he knows Spanish if he doesn't; didn't he even think he'd be tested or given a job related to Spanish? Seriously, Lotterman could have just asked him a question in Spanish to make Paul's whole legend collapse.
Conclusion: Despite my dislike of Hunter Thompson as a writer and as a human being, I have to admit that Rum Diary is now one of my favorite movies. I don’t even know why myself, it probably means that I watched it when I myself had a period of uncertainty in my life, like Paul Camp, which made me understand him perfectly.
At the same time, I understand why the movie didn’t go to many people. He does not find all the charm in describing the life of a journalist in 1960. At the same time, Rum Diary is not mad as Fear and Loathing, which led to the fact that many fans of the second did not love the first.
Personally, I really liked the film. It is rich, with a good picture and a pretty good drama, from which, if desired, you can even conclude that you should never give up and you need to look for yourself.
10 out of 10
After watching Johnny Depp’s latest to date starring Rum Diary, I was glad nothing was lost and what he could do when he wanted. Something like that. I would probably play Captain Obvious if I wrote that, as would the landmark film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (which also starred Johnny Depp, in case someone doesn’t know). Are there any at all?, The Rum Diary is based on the novel by Hunter Thompson. If “Fear...” (1997) is based on the idea of a drug trip inside your brain, then in “Roma Diary”, as the title shows, the characters of the film literally reach the familiar to every alcoholic dry man. Or white fever, if at all, completely, completely. Very funny movie. Of course, someone may not seem funny film on the subject of drugs or alcohol, but each his own. For example, the film “On the Needle” is also considered a comedy, if you do not know. But it's a different subject and a different movie, not about it. Rum Diary is a really good adaptation of Hunter Thompson, not inferior to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. If in “Fear and Hate...” the characters ruined their journalistic activities because of the heavy use of drugs, then in “Roma Diary” the journalist (again a journalist, probably Hunter Thompson wrote novels about himself) has a very bright mind and he drank in the film more for company than just for himself. As a character in the Haydayev comedy "The Caucasian Prisoner".
Alas, I was not familiar with the work of the founder of gonzo journalism Hunter S. Thompson before watching this film. But the themes that come up in this film were quite understandable.
The Rum Diary raises many problems in society (the inequality of the rich/poor, the reduction of the labor force and its replacement by machines), politics (the Caribbean crisis, the confrontation between the US and the USSR, perhaps a reference to the independence movement in Puerto Rico in 1960) and journalism (the unreliability of journalism, its dependence on advertisers). All these problems are clearly expressed in the dialogues of the heroes. For example, the editor of the newspaper Lotterman (Richard Jenkins) describes the state of the newspaper as follows: “We live by advertising.” There will be no advertising, no Lazonges, no paper. Therefore, there are some topics that we avoid.” It was around this time (1960-1963) in the United States that advertising occupied between 62 and 64% of the printed area of newspapers. Lotterman said readers “don’t care about the losers because they want to know who the winner is.” That is, he believes that news such as the crash of a liner in the bay, the murder of fishermen and nature will not affect readers. Readers don’t want to read newspapers that have downsides: “Everyone wants to read only pros.” There was also a crisis of trust in the media. In the film, alas, I heard it only in words and examples of attitude to the press of society I did not see. So let's just trust Mr. Lotterman.
This policy of the newspaper does not suit the main character Paul Camp (Johnny Depp). He is represented by the antagonist of the existing system, the freedom fighter. At first, he seems to go with the flow, like everyone else, but after learning that they are going to build hotels on the coast of another beach, Camp recalls the appointment of a journalist – to tell the truth, write about what is really happening and what worries: “I want to promise you, reader.” I'll talk to people. That's my promise. And my ink voice will be full of anger.” Yes, he didn’t win this war, but sometimes you have to lose to win. As a result, he becomes a famous journalist and fights with scoundrels for the truth.
In my opinion, there are several conflicts in the film. It is a conflict of inequality between rich and poor, a conflict of truthful journalism and corrupt journalism, all intertwined with politics, and the enigmatic “American Dream.” Here, as in Soviet journalism of the late 60s, stagnation occurs, the media loses public trust, and television is slowly displacing newspapers. In America, it was called the Great Newspaper World. In the film, we see this, because the newspaper is held by a thread, depends on advertisers and will soon close, not without the help of a negligent editor.
Perhaps the main idea of the film was to show the life of the main character Paul Camp, his search for himself, becoming a journalist and writer. After all, this film is about Hunter S. Thompson, his novel. Unfortunately, I did not read the Rum Diary, but I will try to read the work, because after reading the article “The Artistic Originality of H. S. Thompson’s novel The Rum Diary”, I thought that much was omitted to the cinema. Most likely, the creators of the film wanted to pay tribute to the writer and journalist H. S. Thompson, and at the same time to highlight the events that took place in the country at that time.
The end of the film seemed a bit smothered. Paul says in the printing house: “The smell of scoundrels and printing paint. The smell of truth. But where is it, that smell of truth, if Paul hasn't got justice? Of course, he goes into a new life in which he is going to fix everything, find himself, but still, what is journalistic truth for him? Honor? Apparently, the director decided to leave this issue rhetorical, to reflect on the viewer.
Finally, I would like to note my personal observation. I don’t know about the book, but after watching the film, I got the impression that the writer was influenced by Hemingway and Marquez. Especially cockfights reminded Marquez’s story “Nobody writes to the Colonel.” In general, the film is suitable for viewing, but still I would turn to the source, that is, the book, and only then I would watch the film.
The worst part is the absence of one of the main characters. Throwing out of the film Fritz Yemon, the creators completely killed the book Thompson. Imagine (forgive the comparison) 'Harry Potter' without Ron Weasley. Doesn't look good, does it? Yemon’s explosive and nervous nature reflected the deplorable state of the newspaper he worked for and the other unpleasant things Paul Kemp met in Puerto Rico. And after all, it was with him that the misadventures of the heroes were associated, so we had to redraw the entire plot.
From the film blows Hollywood 'popsyatina' and ridiculous inserts that kill the whole spirit of the book. It seems that the writers wanted to make Thompson’s work, with its attractive touch of meaninglessness, an easy film for family viewing. Instead of a fight with his grandfather (the embodiment of all the universal injustice) on the plane, we will see a romantic acquaintance with Cheno on the night beach, which turned the film into a kind of melodrama. The girl, of course, now belongs to the personification of evil in the film, and not the friend of the main character (so it turns out more beautiful). No one knows where the magic comes from. Reference to 'Fear and hate' in the moment with drug use is also completely out of place.
But it adds Moberg. If the other characters turned out to be smeared, this finished alconaut, moral freak and good comrade is revealed here much more fully than in the book, without losing his color.
The movie isn’t that bad, of course, but don’t call this clipped and inverted plot a Thompson film adaptation. It's different.
But this film Depp I liked. Probably it was here, in the hooligan aesthetics of good Hunter Thompson, who against the background of modern synthetic polyphony can already be considered a classic, Johnny Depp was able to prove himself in the most complete way. It is necessary to understand that being in rigid pragmatic Hollywood formats, this actor usually suffers a complete and crushing defeat. That’s why his “Tourist” and “Mordecai” were so inconspicuous. That’s why he looks so awkward in each subsequent series of the franchise about Jack Sparrow.
And in the tape “Roma diary” we immediately found ourselves in the kingdom of the absurd. Instead of preparing for the sexual revolution or articulating their Nixon-Kennedy attitude, our heroes found themselves in a place devoid of the American dream: Puerto Rico. They do everything they can to enjoy life.
The film perfectly shows this atmosphere of relaxed idleness. Drunky. Sex. The sun is so hot. People sit aimlessly on the shore, hiding their New York paleness. Fights. Erotica. Financial intrigue. That's enough. But there is no time left for politics, you can only look through binoculars for the mentioned Nixon and Kennedy, predicting the latter a sad finale.
How to disagree with those critics who tell us that the picture is “about nothing”. It's really a very boring sight. Only here the deliberate utilitarianity and minimization of the plot are needed here - in this case they are informative in themselves. The life choices of all the characters of the story are a reaction to what is happening in their country. In other words, a lot of this remains behind the scenes.
There is little space and things "rebel". There will be a few questionable episodes in the tape that will refer us to Gilliam’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, not a latent sequel. The expectations of some fans are not justified. This is not a black comedy from the lives of drug addicts and alcoholics. A completely different format, closer to the meditative nostalgia corresponding to the text of the literary source. How not to remember here the expressive words of Hunter Thompson: " ..." The sounds of the San Juan night floated through the city through layers of moist air; the sounds of life and movement, while some people prepared for something and others gave up attempts, the sounds of hope and the sounds of perseverance – and above all these sounds the quiet, deadly ticking of thousands of hungry hours, the lonely sound of time that flows all the long Caribbean night.
9 out of 10
Johnny Depp, his wife, still "two-faced"Aaron Eckhart, and the immortal Hunter S. Thompson, which may be better for a simple movie lover.
2 hours, and it turned out that everything is not so simple.
The film is not for everyone, but for everyone.
Here you will not find the sacred meaning, the universal scale, the quintessence, or for what they usually go to the movies. Not even a pleasant evening here.
This film will immerse you in the most "shit", with taste, with sense and arrangement.
You will be attracted by the history of the eternal alcoholism of a creative personality, (possibly drug addiction, but nothing unusual happens), the sea, the goofy beauty Amber, the search for a muse, cockfights. You’ll also like Aaron Eckharvey (all so crystal white on the outside, but wormy on the inside). And the moment you start just enjoying the carelessness of this picture, the very moment when you realize that this is only a pleasant empty space, it will hurt your most unpleasant feelings.
You will be thrown into a ghetto full of mud, you will be taken to a bar where the angel’s wings will be cut, and once again you will be shown (without saying aloud) – “all the problems because of women”
And everything that the director will write at the end, on top of the photo, trying to bring us back to the beginning, to the empty space, no longer makes sense. Don't you? Try to write a book, take your girlfriend, pump her with alcohol, put her in a nightclub full of local flavor, somewhere in Mexico, Thailand or Egypt and enjoy yourself. And then just review the rum diary.
- What are you doing?!
I suddenly appreciated how good you are! .
I suddenly woke up and laughed for the first time. A seedy, barely alive Zaporozhian without doors, no seats and with two men at the wheel. Ah, ha. You can laugh about it.
The film is based on Hunter S. Thompson’s novel The Rum Diary, written more than 50 years ago and published in 1998. Johnny Depp and Thompson were close friends, and the film is Johnny Depp’s acting and production project.
In my opinion, the atmosphere of the 60s is not entirely accurate, but the spirit of that time in some episodes is very eloquent. The real decoration of the picture is the incomparable Johnny Depp and the seductive Amber Heard. Their joint duet on the screen is bright and brilliant. Luxury Olivia in a couture dress, her platinum curls, bright lipstick and alluring look. Hot Puerto Rico, Red SUPERCAR racing at breakneck speed, bright sun, Caribbean Sea, and... when there are only two. Two people in love with each other. A more natural and real kiss, performed by two, I do not recall. Impressive.
Along with luxury, the film is a lot of dirt, poverty and other life realities. Our hero is Paul Kemp, a journalist who moved from distant New York to the tropical city of San Juan. He is looking for a job, and also finds a part-time job that has contributed to his life, so boring to this day, a sea of chaos, carelessness and hops. Those who expect a difficult game and unexpected sharp turns from the film, then you are not at the right place. For me personally, Rum Diary is a film of rest, telling, for example, an event where drunkenness and hooliganism can be put under arrest for 30 days, but it is such a small thing if you have a friend with the Greens in your pocket and you are free again. Live! Enjoy today and an extra 50 or 100 BACARDI is always so handy.
The sun, the sea, money, yachts are a fabulous, compelling reality, but hiding all the charms of “real life” – shitty apartments, the lack of a delicious dinner and, most importantly, the lack of intriguing, sensational material so necessary for the director of the company in which Paul Kemp and his friend work. Giovani Ribisi, playing the role of a hopeless alcoholic, emphasizes dividing this friendly trio into characters with separate personal characteristic qualities.
The picture came out fresh, light, slightly ordinary and slightly fresh. This film deserves close attention if only because it pays tribute to the famous journalist Hunter S. Thompson.
7 out of 10
When I started watching the film, I didn’t know who Thompson was, I didn’t read The Rum Diary, and I had no idea what gonzo journalism was. I was interested in the annotation for the film (a journalist comes to Puerto Rico to find himself) and Johnny Depp in the title role. I thought it had to be something bright, exciting, adventurous. I was wrong.
The beginning of the film seemed promising: beautiful views of Puerto Rico, funny Johnny from a big bodun, editorial chuckles ... But then, instead of developing the plot, a continuous slippage went. Endless drunkenness and completely incomprehensible actions of the characters of the film. Although, if you consider that they “did not dry”, then you should not look for logic in their actions – what is the logic of a drunken person?
All the characters are completely faceless: villains do not cause indignation, journalists - sympathy, the locals are generally strange, then they peek from behind the bushes, then they want to kill for nothing. The main heroine, beauty performed by Amber Heard from longing and idleness looking for adventures on her charming ass and, of course, finds.
All life in Puerto Rico seems to be a viscous rum swamp, where the main purpose of which is to find a drink. Villains look more pleasant - they do something, change something in this life.
The hero of Depp first spits into the evil hand feeding him, then offended and wants to expose everyone, but the efficiency of all his movements is completely zero.
In general, not a film, but a video sequence of drunken consciousness.
“Trying to quit drinking? Puerto Rico is the least fit for this!
Briefly about the main thing. The film impressed me very much, and few films impress me so much. There are more advantages than disadvantages here.
1) Play of actors. Amazing - for me personally.
Johnny Depp is always great. Johnny is such an actor who looks great in any role. As everyone knows, this film is based on the book, and the author of this book is a friend of Johnny. He played Paul Kemp very well. Alcoholic in the penultimate degree, and just a man exhausted by life. That's the way to play. I believe him, which is the most important thing.
I was also impressed by Michael Rispoli.
Bob Sala is a very cool guy. As soon as I heard his name, I almost fell out of laughter, but that's not the main thing sometimes he would throw away such phrases that just, at least stop, at least fall.
(2) Plot. The plot is great. I think the film is finished, the director worked hard. It’s a pity the movie didn’t include a character from the book. Yemon. I think that's a minus. He would be right there.
3) Music- superb! 5 soundtracks entered my playlist and "live" there for a long time. Christopher Young is a very good composer. I've seen enough movies where he's been a composer, so where he is, there's always good compositions.
4) Landscapes. Oh-oh-oh! It's a separate subject! Puerto Rico is a cool country, as soon as I saw this movie I immediately wanted to go there! The Caribbean, palm trees – all this I love!
5) Humor. Not flat as it usually is, all the jokes there are always funny and with meaning. Of course, the book itself is also very funny.
The rum diary is not only my favorite movie, but also a book. I didn’t read it right after watching the movie, but I did. Yes, there may be flaws in this film, but they are so minor that I don’t want to write about them, and as Mr. Lotterman said: “Nobody wants to hear about the minuses, everyone wants to hear about the pros!”
10 out of 10
1960s. Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp) works as a journalist, but dreams of becoming a writer. To devote himself to creativity, he moved to Latin America, or rather to Puerto Rico, where (you have to live for something) gets a job in a local newspaper. She bends, her employees are drunk, and then as convenient as Kemp can be, a real estate agent and a rare prostitute named Hal Sanderson (Aaron Eckhart), who offers a profitable job, comes under the arm of Kemp. Everything turns out more or less successfully, but Paul falls in love with Sanderson's girlfriend - Sheno (Amber Heard), and then his troubles begin.
Published with great delay (the book was written in the 1960s, but was published only in the late 90s), the novel by the great American gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson was an attempt to find his literary style: as you know, Thompson always wanted to be a writer, not a journalist. Unlike other works of Hunter, it is quite a lot of fiction. To begin with, he poses as an experienced thirty-year-old journalist, although at that time he was 22. The content of the book is somewhat different from that of the film (and one of the three important characters in the story is missing). However, this is not the case when the source material is worth pouring crocodile tears: for Thompson it was just a sample of the feather.
Johnny Depp was more interested in this project. The paintings should have come out at the beginning of zero. Then it was frozen, then tried to defrost, inviting Josh Hartnett and Benicio del Toro to star, but this idea failed.
As a result, the rights to the book were acquired by the British, and the script was written by English playwright Bruce Robinson (Whitnail and Me, Jennifer 8), who became the director of the film. It is said that Robinson, a sober man with more than six years of experience, began drinking a bottle of wine a day and stopped drinking again only after the script was finished.
Most of all, "Roma diary" bribes with its optionality. About such things it is customary to say: a trifle, but pleasant. However, it is also true that if something is pleasant, it is no longer a trifle.
My acquaintance with the "Diary" happened shamefully late, and quite by accident. In one of my friend's poppy men's magazines, I saw an article about the meter of gonzo journalism, Hunter S. Thompson, and without resisting the charisma of quotes ("Walk proudly, kick ass, learn Arabic, love music, and never forget that you came from a long line of truth seekers, lovers and warriors").
“The last train leaving from anywhere will never be full of good guys.”
“When we escape Iraq with our tail between our bellies, it will be the fifth consecutive Third World country that, without a hint of navy and aviation, has screwed us over the past 40 years,” he said.
This is a film about truth and Latin America, and I'm crazy about them.
Both are seen in brutal, but strong male friendship, in the spark of eyes first seen, but long ago yearning, in the panoramas of the most luxurious palette, in a fragile sense of style, in the poverty of slums with colorful posters on the walls.
"Everyone on the verge of a foul" - says the slogan of the film. And indeed, this is a border dimension and it is here in everything: in the amplitude of feelings and emotions, in the speed of a sophisticated convertible, in currency fraud in offshores and in the pulse of heroes from the amount of rum consumed.
In a flying comic form, the film reminds of eternal values. About who is really smart, rich and happy. But the achievement of this goal is the acme of cinema beyond any space and time.
It is a schizophrenic society: two languages, two flags, two anthems. We give something, and they either shout “fuck it” or “more or more.” They're obstinate relatives of the United States. Like England, but with bananas.
“To beautiful women with dirty thoughts!”
“There is a miscalculation of reasons for despair. It seems that God in a fit of disgust decided to bring us down to the root!
“A dream is a mirage. There is only a swamp of self-interest in which the world is drowning. I suddenly realized the connection between children scavenging in trash and polished copper signs on the door of banks.
Despite the presence of Depp (it is difficult to fall in love with the cunning traits of an intellectual-assass, and stop presenting how chic the film would turn out to be in the lead role with DiCaprio, Cage, or even Costner), it seems that the tape from the collection “Favorites” of Hollywood of the twenty-first century.
Rum Diary is another adaptation of the novel of the same name by the controversial, at times odious, but certainly talented and unique Hunter S. Thompson, which appeared not without the efforts of everyone’s beloved Johnny Depp. As you know, Depp is a personal fan of Thompson and already has a successful experience in the film adaptation of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Rum Diary is the story of writer and journalist Paul Camp (Depp), who did not gain fame in New York and went in search of a new “challenge” in Puerto Rico. Camp works as a journalist for a local newspaper and, like most of his local colleagues, has a penchant for alcohol. Camp meets local real estate agent Hal Sanderson, who offers him cooperation.
As it seemed to me, the unambiguous reviews of both film critics and ordinary viewers are associated with the evaluation of Rum Diary through the prism of the resounding success of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. In my opinion, the films are completely different and it is incorrect to compare them fully. In the Rum Diary there is no such crazy drive and frenzy as in its predecessor, the plot is not so diverse, but the film has a great atmosphere of lightness and freedom. Very good camera work - everything is filmed beautifully and colorfully, the nature and views of Puerto Rico are fascinating. A red plane hovering in the clouds to the voice of Dean Martin creates a great mood for the entire viewing. Johnny Depp is always great, but I would like to note separately not Depp, but Giovanni Ribisi, who perfectly played the role of Moberg - a journalist and a bitter drunkard, and in general I really like this guy, since his small role in the series Friends.
In general, a good movie, not without meaning, which in my opinion is worth watching.
8 out of 10
And drunkards with rabbit eyes.
"In vino veritas!" shouts.
(c) A. Block
It will be correct to consider the film from two sides: as a film adaptation and as an independent cinematic unit.
Screening
I’m not going to be liberal and I’m going to give a verdict that’s disgusting. The plot is indecently heavily reworked, I would even say that only the names of the characters and the scene remain from the work.
It should begin with the fact that one of the main characters was completely deleted from the story, which causes genuine bewilderment: because of this decision, the screenwriter “had to” change almost every episode and, of course, the ending, turning what is happening on the screen into complete absurdity.
Now to the characters: we can only assume that the director set the task to reveal each character as he sees himself. Otherwise, no image could be transferred to the screen, these are completely different people.
Paul Kemp from a man on the verge of a midlife crisis, driven into a deadlock in the search for the meaning of life, turns into a seeker of truth and a knight of journalistic commandments.
Hal Sanderson loses the grip of a businessman, performing actions that defy logic on the screen.
Sheno ceases to be a nymphomaniac, a careless girl who played hedonism, now she is an empty character, whose actions you watch with sincere bewilderment.
The pages of the work are saturated with rum, all events are shrouded in the viscous, stuffy, sultry atmosphere of San Juan, which is one of the main advantages of the novel. The screenplay also smells of washed-out Hollywood gloss, which drove away the charm of this rum story.
Well, the Alov courtyard, which can be called a separate character of the work, will not give us the opportunity to relax in its walls for a glass or two, since it was simply not included in the script.
The novel is not just reworked, but also invented: at the end of the film, we are told the alleged future of the main character. And even this could still somehow be reconciled, if not for the indication in front of the credits of “the memory of Hunter Thompson”, which sounded mockery and left an unpleasant aftertaste.
From the above conclusion one - fans of the novel should not watch the film.
Cinema
I will try to abstract from the work and analyze this film creation as an unenlightened viewer.
Unfortunately, the film arouses a sense of irritation from the first minute. It all begins with ocean views carved from tourist brochures, which are roughly interrupted by the appearance of Johnny Depp. As much as I’d like to push that away, the first thing that comes to mind is, “Why am I watching Pirates of the Caribbean?” And the fault of this cognitive dissonance is solely Depp.
We all love Jack Sparrow, but it seems that Johnny is no longer able to get rid of the usual methods of acting for this character. The main character is not perceived as a dramatic character, moreover, he is not taken seriously at all because of the comic habits inherent in the same pirate. I don’t know what Johnny Depp himself thinks about this in his heart, but in my opinion it’s time for him to stop drinking with Sparrow on the browdershaft if he still holds views on serious roles.
Since we are talking about Depp, let’s pay attention to the other actors.
Amber Heard. I can't imagine what made this girl play like that. Maybe the fact that she didn't read the novel? What did Miss Heard try to convey to the audience and what did she put into her character? Her heroine is made up of the unlogical actions and views of the concubine, who literally shout to the main character “Take me away from this successful, wealthy and attractive man who feeds me lobsters and sends a charter for me, I so want to be with you, drunk, who is nothing like a writer.” The only feeling that this character causes is a sincere misunderstanding. The greater surprise comes from the realization that the actress with a sultry appearance could not bring sparks of passion and lust into the scenes with her participation.
Aaron Eckhart. The attempts to make the character multifaceted turned to dust - ridiculously prescribed in the script Hal Sanderson was doomed in advance to the fate of a one-sided and devoid of professionalism of the hero. However, Aaron left a pleasant impression on his acting.
Giovanni Ribisi. This is perhaps the charisma of this film. The character of Ribisi draws all the attention to himself the moment he appears on the screen. There is, however, an incompensable drawback - this hero is driven to unbearable absurdity and endowed with specific views and preferences. The reality of such a character is hard to believe.
With the semantic component of the film, the creators decided not to bother for a long time. In the book we have unobtrusive reasoning about life, giving rise to a kind of ideology of modern restless man. With its quiet philosophy, it encourages you to think about many things, as well as look at the meaning and lifestyle of people of different professions, nationalities and beliefs. Instead, the fascination in the film decided to toss words full of lifeless pathos and claims to nobility into the air, and hit communism, the mention of which turned into a bid for serious political debate. There is a movie that has nothing to talk about.
I would like to focus on the details. The writer did a lot of work here, but for nothing. Cockfights, hellish alcohol, hallucinations, shamanic rite - all this not only does not fit into the atmosphere of the work, but also turns what is happening into a circus.
In the end, we brought a tasteless dish, leaving a sediment of bewilderment and irritation. I don't advise you to take it.
Paul Camp is a loser writer. All his attempts to attach his writing to any publisher or newspaper in New York fail miserably. Exasperated by constant setbacks and creative crisis, he decides to travel to Puerto Rico for new experiences and inspiration. However, upon arrival, it turns out that Paul’s unrestrained energy will once again remain unclaimed – the newspaper in which he got a job is about to close, and its employees are dependent on alcohol of varying severity. But Paul is not in a hurry to despair - he makes friends with the most violent colleague, a romantic beauty, and a little later - with her pompous boyfriend, who offers him a job. Obsessed with the ideas of freedom and justice, Paul at first puts up with this situation and accepts the offer. But the more Puerto Rican air, and most importantly, rum, penetrates his body, the less he cares about money, and the more creative and life freedom.
Rum Diary is a film adaptation of, in fact, really diary, an icon of gonzo journalism by Hunter Thompson, published 8 years before his death and 35 years after writing. A great friend of Thompson, Johnny Depp tried to attach the idea of the film adaptation since the beginning of the two thousandth – and now, he finally succeeded. Rum Diary is a neat homage to the era of gonzo journalism, embodying everything that Hunter Thompson himself valued and respected. The idealistic ideas of the protagonist about the world and journalism in general are combined in him, as in Thompson himself, with an unrestrained fascination with alcohol, women and all the other charms of life every day. And although, the hero of Johnny Depp only exceeded 30, Depp himself at the time of filming was 50, and Hunter Thompson was only 21. Thus, Rum Diary could be run (or ended) with the captions "This is how it all started." The specter of forbidden substances is still hovering over the fate of the protagonist, fear and disgust, just like Las Vegas, is still far ahead. Here and now there is only rum, the ocean, freedom, and again rum, with all its attendant and consequential. Such as, for example, cockfights, arson of a policeman, seducing someone else's bride and others, innocent, compared to "Fear and Disgust" entertainment. Not imagining, exactly like the original, nothing from the ranks of outstanding, “Rum Diary” nevertheless looks surprisingly fascinating and vivid. Johnny Depp, finally playing not Jack Sparrow, and who he really wants, this impression successfully supports. For fans of Thompson's pen, or Gilligan's film, "Diary can even cause a sense of nostalgia and light emotion, as when watching the New Year's Eve mornings of a long-grown son." As charming and light as optional and formal, Rum Diary ultimately fulfills all the tasks set by Depp and Robbins. First of all, this is a film adaptation worthy of the author of the book - Thompson's memory is honorable, and this is what he sought for his friend Johnny Depp. In addition, “Diary” fits perfectly into the cinematic story of the writer’s life and copes perfectly with the role of a kind of prequel “Fear and Disgust”. And among other things, “Roma Diary” is simply devoid of any pathos, a really good movie, about, maybe not the most ideal, but also good, and most importantly, interesting people.
I came across the film immediately after watching 'Fear and Hate...' which surprised me unpleasantly. After a short thought, I decided to see another creation based on Hunter Thompson. I was pleasantly surprised to see on the screen not a drunken and high-pitched thrash and frenzy, but a good enough high-quality plot.
So, first impression. The main character, aka journalist Kemp, wakes up from a hangover in a new place, in Puerto Rico, in a good hotel. Trying to correct the damaged face by the method of glasses and goes to a new cherished job. But it's not so easy: people with tomatoes at the main entrance, the police are not trying much. When Kemp does get into the office, he is immediately given ' order of affairs' chatty photographer Sala and the owner of the newspaper.
The plot is tied, our heroes by all sorts of truths and untruths try to survive on this red-hot piece of rock.
For the tie-up and the main part- good, everything succeeded, there were minor inconsistencies, but within the norm.Denouement slightly spoils the impression of the film, the truth is slightly justified postscript-normal .
Playing actors at a high level. I emphasize the skill of Aaron Eckhart to play the so-called ' mediator-slug' and also very pleasing to the eye pretty Amber Heard.The game of all the main characters can be evaluated on Excellent
Musical accompaniment unobtrusive, in my opinion, fully fits into the picture.
The film itself looks very vivid, really, the atmosphere is conveyed wonderfully: there are green virgin jungles, and sweaty drunken carnival, and peaceful seclusion on the beach.But, the film is also called ' Rum diary' I did not feel that ' rum' drunken atmosphere, except for carnival. I also didn’t understand why there was so-called voodoo magic 39 and hallucinations with language, which we were shown in the trailer. Do they want to remember and #39; Fear and hatred? ..'? But why? This movie is completely different.
In total, from viewing BY reading the book, the picture received a good rating from me.
And now a second impression, after the original ' Rum Diary' Thompson. First, the plot is quite distorted, and not in a good way. Secondly, Paul Kemp from the book is not the person who walks around on the screen in the person of Johnny Depp. And thirdly, I could see that something was wrong with the ending, even before the book, but after that, it turned out to be terrible. And lastly, the film does not have that 'rum' mood that is in the book.
So, the movie, if you ignore the book, is very good. But if I had watched it after reading the original novel, the score would have been much lower.
8 out of 10
The rum diary was literally found by Johnny Depp sometime between 1997 and 98. To make things a little clearer, Rum Diary is a novel by American journalist Hunter Thompson that he wrote in the early 60s. Several times he was denied the publication of his work, and he abandoned the manuscript. That same Johnny later found him at Hunter's house. in 1998, the novel was published, and I confess, unfortunately, I have not read it yet.
But I watched a movie that was soon made based on a novel.
Well, Johnny Depp is amazing. No one else would have done such an epic job as an alcoholic journalist. I also enjoyed the atmosphere of the film. Bruce Robinson was able to bring the viewer to the Puerto Rican 50s. He showed the people and the people there. Also, in addition to Depp, other actors should be noted, they fit well and qualitatively.
There are many comedic moments in the picture. And in the beginning, it's interesting. But unfortunately, by the second half, the film began to deflate like a ball, and it became boring. Even the most beautiful Amber Heard did not save him.
Johnny Depp once said, If there is a choice between yes or no, then yes!
I would rather say yes than no to this film.
Plus light, carefree movie that it relaxes, allows you to forget about problems.
A rum diary is a movie like that.
On October 20, 2011, the world premiere of the film, which was expected as manna (rum manna!), all fans of Johnny Depp and Hunter S. Thompson. Perfectly matched actor and writer, fan and master, teacher and student, kindred souls became one in the new film Bruce Robinson “Rum Diary” – the adaptation of one of the first books of the famous American writer, drug addict, provocateur and popularizer of gonzo-journalism H. Thompson (“Fear and hatred in Las Vegas”). Johnny Depp wanted to revive his idol so much that he risked playing someone who is 20 years younger and 20 times crazier.
Informal, pirate, freedom lover and counterculturalist Depp became interested in the work and personality of Hunter Thompson in his youth. He knew him well, loved him so much that after the suicide of a friend he realized his crazy dream - he arranged a "posthumous party" for friends with the scattering of Thompson's ashes from a cannon mounted on a 46-meter crane. The upper part of the crane, of course, was a six-fingered fist of gonzo. The dust was shot through this “fist” at sunset. On the verge of a foul? But Thompson's life was the same. And to understand it and feel it, you need to be just as crazy, brave and drunk. Equally free...
The film “Roma Diary” was equipped with the slogan “Everything is on the verge of a foul”, sounding like an invitation to a slippery adventure. But do not take this movie as a series of funny adventures and downshifting tricks of an eternally drunk grief journalist, do not see in the hero and his friends only alcoholics, drug addicts, promiscuous in sex and amphetamines, without a tower, roof, health and tomorrow. After all, with them we find ourselves in the forbidden territory of complete independence, where a person lives as he wants, not allowing anyone to dictate to himself, and this person is always drunk not because there are many rum and occasions around, but because he has a full glass of life in his hands. And because he tastes freedom every second like air. And drunk with oxygen!
Perhaps that true freedom is possible in both profession and life is only a Thompsonian myth and one of the most fabulous, unrealizable aspects of the American dream. But there are people who deserve myth, and film fairy tales, and nostalgia, and faith.
Depp played journalist Paul Camp (alter ego Topmson) with a bit of sadness, with nostalgia for real, with a longing for life without a sense of proportion. The style of his game is rock and roll, and the task is a look from the inside of the era of comfort and total showmanship on the days that excite the present, in the peak of the monotonous and sour grayness of glamour. Compared to our rock 'n' roll time of the sixties, it's a vertical generation, not a horizontal generation, capable of actually moving into an imaginary world - up and down. A generation that had the courage to prove Goethe’s idea that individuality comes at the cost of life.
Constantly raising the degree of life is one of the options for the talent to live, even if it sometimes looks like self-destruction. Without measuring, scattering. By not selling, by sharing. Not saving is a fearless spender.
I think I wouldn’t be wrong to say that most of Johnny Depp’s work in film celebrates freedom lovers. The degree and degree of freedom of the heroes he created, the measure of their radicality, the scope of maximalism can be different, as can the tone of their irony. But certainly, the anarchist drug addict Raoul Duke (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) and the gonzo-brushing Paul Camp (The Rum Diary) - the two faces of Hunt (H.S. Thompson) sharks - are most desperately at odds with the System, where everything is one lie and a swamp of self-interest, where black is a dark shade of white, where no one cares about the losers. “I warn the scoundrels of this world that your interests are foreign to me. I'll talk to people. And my ink voice will be full of anger.” That's how they catch their wind. And you got him, Kemp!
The swamp of self-interest in which the world sinks...
Long-term pleasure is akin to sadism.
What's the movie about? Paradise on earth and the carefree life. But when the shell of the first perception breaks, you realize that soon it will be indecent to slap bare feet on the sandy shore. And even on a virgin island of several tens of square miles, the endless noise of human presence will be heard around the clock. Once deceived, the natives sold the lands of their ancestors with them. Now they are angry with white people, but nothing can be done. You can’t beat a green bill, especially if everyone around you eats it.
The main character of the film, having escaped from New York, did not get what he expected. He, like everyone else, became dependent on rum, beautiful women, tropical warmth. Yeah, there's everything. And it's almost for nothing. You can not even work, enlisting the support of the powerful. Rum is pleasant to drink, but in the morning the tongue is like sandpaper. It is nice to be in the company of a charming girl, but because of her you can literally lose your head. It’s nice to bask on a golden beach, but when you find out what will be here in the near future, your blood will freeze.
He who understands the meaning of dawn, he will never admire the sunset.
This movie looks like a sunset. The juicy colors of the sunset, the yacht, the parting of friends, but ... there is a taste in the mouth of a bitter pill. The real thing ate movie heroes. And journalist Paul Kemp has no future: he does not define the fighter.
Quality work of the operator, screenwriter and costume designer do not allow to give a negative assessment. I will not be watching this movie again soon.
7 out of 10
The world isn't fair, it's been ruined before you.
We see a wonderful book by Hunter S. Thompson. We see a wonderful actor, Johnny Depp. Do we see the wonderful truth? Wonderful no. Alas.
Throughout the film - rum, yachts, rum, rum, girls, rum, dirty business, rum, sex. And who says that this does not reflect the essence of a dirty money world, where there is no truth, no friendship, no good profit for an honest and conscientious person? The dirt of journalism is alcohol. All the dirt in the world of politics is a lie.
It is difficult to say in what direction the plot was directed, it develops, it shakes. Surprisingly, the theme of passionate and stormy love was given little time in the film. My predictions towards the end of the film were destroyed by my own impression. And the humor in this movie gave me a boost for the rest of the day. A delightful scene with a chase on a ridiculous little car, stunning lines before meeting Sanderson.
“Keep naturally to the left, Pharaoh whom we have burned.”
Surprisingly, in Depp’s game, I didn’t see Jack Sparrow’s obvious snares. Absolutely true, clear, correct formulation of emotions, facial expressions, gestures. Everything was as I expected, nothing made me say "I don't believe." I believe, absolutely. But enough about the main character. I just can't NOT mention Giovanni Ribisi, who played reporter Moberg. The scene where on a vinyl record he listens to Hitler's speeches brought me to a hysterical shudder of my facial muscles. Do you believe it? and I believe it.
It’s an impressive film, memorable. If you want to feel the whole essence of alcohol intoxication, the full power of drug action, all the adrenaline of the sixties, then the Rum Diary is exactly what you need.
Skepticism of actors or H.S. Thompson is not welcome. You just can ruin the whole impression of the film.
Immerse yourself in the world of rum, Puerto Rico, straw hats.
9 out of 10
The film in a beautiful shell of picturesque and sunny colors of Puerto Rico, soaked in the smell of cigars and rum pouring in the river... turned out to be weak plot and sagged throughout the entire timekeeping... Excellent, in general, caste, successful work of the operator and organically woven into the geography of paintings, music ... Wasted huge potential of the idea, embodied, in the end, crumpled and scattered. Sometimes there was a feeling that the plot is completely absent and the picture simply drifts in an indefinite direction, constantly changing the mood from comedic to melodramatic, then slides into a dramatic channel and again into comedy.
As a result of such manipulations with the consciousness of the viewer, multiple conflicts of perception arise, preventing immersion in history and depriving them of the opportunity to fully feel it.
Johnny Depp, as has long been established, plays perfectly, filling the frame with the color and charisma of his hero, as well as magical charm, felt even through the impassable smell of rum. It is, in fact, the foundation of the whole picture. But one Johnny is not enough to automatically bring the tape into the category of successful.
I really wanted to see something really fascinating and special, because, once again, the ground for this was very fertile, but, alas, a one-time movie turned out that did not leave behind any serious reflections and did not give bright and long-playing emotions.
From boundless sympathy for Johnny Depp and love for the juicy colors of the Caribbean republics:
6 out of 10
A dream is a mirage. There is only a swamp of self-interest in which the world is drowning.
A young, alcohol-soaked journalist from New York, Paul Camp, flies to Puerto Rico. He runs away from gloss and boredom and finds an evil reality in the world of money and alcohol around him. He knows the world, he knows himself, he knows himself from the side from which he has not yet seen or known. He turns his whole life around in an instant.
Impeccable acting, the work of the director put the film on a very high level. Let’s say that there were no long trips, no boxes of drugs, no disfigured rooms in hotels, which were waiting for many, the characters live and feel, forcing the viewer to do the same. Feel it. Everything from posters on the walls of the premises, the perfect soundtrack, to glasses, facial expressions and hairstyles of the actors, everything keeps the atmosphere. Everything arouses feelings. It's perfect.
10 out of 10
Johnny Depp, watching his career as an actor, has a huge gift to play characters resistant to alcohol or drug addiction. The role in the picture "Rum diary" in this regard can be included in the asset as well.
The satire “Rum Diary” is a great gift to the generation of gourmet cinema of the last century, especially those for whom “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” has become a cult picture. The work of director Bruce Robinson is another adaptation of the works of Hunter S. Thompson, but it is not worse, and the original source does not spoil its predecessor.
This film for the rest of the audience may seem either old-fashioned or absolutely not funny. Yes, in the modern understanding of humor and comedies, it is not often necessary to laugh here, but for a resourceful viewer who is able to look into the details and in subtle humor there will be something to look at.
Perhaps this tape did not find a place in the genre of comedies, watching the rapid development of the genre in recent years, which can be attributed, for example, “Bachelor party”, or some representative of the direction of mocumentri. But for the small group that rated Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, there was no better gift.
I think Johnny Depp has given out another role as a romantic recidivist to be reckoned with. And the secondary cast showed itself cheerful and colorful. As a result, an excellent comedy dedicated to the generation of the middle of the last century, beautifully displaying not only Puerto Rico, but also the unbalanced social order of its time.
7 out of 10
Thousands will be trampled while you eat breakfast.
And my ink voice will be full of anger (c)
American writer and journalist Hunter Thompson in 1959 wrote the book " Rum Diary", British director Bruce Robinson in 2011 brilliantly filmed it.
This is the story of a journalist entangled in a web of false gloss and decided to find himself, starting to live and work in a completely new way. The talented Paul Camp leaves a prestigious job to spontaneously move to the paradise of Puerto Rico and devote himself to gonzo journalism. The picture clearly demonstrates what it is - to tell in the first person, expressing in his work emotions, sensations, thoughts, feel freedom, permissiveness and constantly be in the atmosphere of adventure.
Thousands will be trampled while you eat breakfast, this is one of the key tenets of the story. That is why Paul Camp is trying to build a new temple of fair, honest journalism on the ruins of human conscience, and each viewer will decide for himself whether the hero succeeds or not.
Journalism in the Rum Diary is intertwined with the immediacy and frivolity that make the film so extraordinary and boring. Incendiary dances until the morning, colorful carnivals, rum pouring in the river, frenzied races on the car, parties in a large company on the seafront, drunken fights, cockfights, and now you can not take off the screen. And most importantly, without attention do not leave the tandem of the ubiquitous Johnny Depp and blonde beauty Amber Heard.
The film itself is very beautiful, shooting landscapes delights, panoramas are breathtaking. Not surprisingly, the operator of the picture is Dariusz Wolski himself, who worked on all parts of Pirates of the Caribbean and Sweeney Todd. In all these films, by the way, Johnny Depp also played the main role.
So, the Rum Diary makes you think and carefully process the food you give them for thought. Brightness adds witty dialogue and sparkling humor, generously diluted with large portions of sarcasm. Verdict: dynamic, juicy, catchy. Hunter Thompson would certainly be pleased.
8 out of 10
The actor who really pushed me to watch this movie is Johnny Depp. In 2012, Johnny Depp was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the highest paid actor, he managed to earn $ 75 million for the year. What to say, for Depp, 2012 is also successful, more recently there were “Dark Shadows” and he is also in the lead role, in general, every year Johnny delights us with new roles. I’m wondering how Depp wanted to dream in this picture, which is dedicated to this review, he earned decent on Pirates, so he still pulled. The picture is based on the book, I have not read the book, so I will not compare it. I read that the director did not change anything in the film, everything is almost like the book, it is bad to throw your ideas. The action of this film takes place in Puerto Rico, in the 50s of the last century. A journalist named Paul Camp comes to this country to look for a new job, he's talented, but there's one minus he drinks a lot of alcohol, and in Puerto Rico there's an alcoholic drink like rum, which is bad for Paul, because at this rate you can sleep. The action of the film begins in the capital San Juan, the city is not too small, but not too large. Further and further we are introduced to the main character, and then adventures begin, well, this is for whom.
Johnny Depp is a bright and magnificent actor, we know him as a master of reincarnations, he played in many worthwhile films, in almost all films he was horribly made up. But it's a different movie, Depp here is simple, like himself and as always irresistible. His game liked, in principle, as it may not like, if it is Johnny Depp himself who is always a decoration of any film, so the Rum Diary was also decorated with him. The role for Depp is easy, I agree with many, it is true, there were roles much better, Jack Sparrow himself is worth what. He passed his character on all ten points, shy, cowardly, and most importantly funny, he is in his repertoire. Johnny played well. Aaron Eckhart also did a great job, although he did not appear very often, but he was able to show that he was present in the film and that his character was also interesting. Amber Heard, I can say the following about this actress, yes, she is beautiful, but this is not the main factor in this film, she got a very simple role, walked in dresses and bathed in the sea, and she did not appear very often. The one who made me happy was Giovanni Ribisi, who played an alcoholic, a sick man whose life is rum. I liked him in that role.
What I liked about the film was its lightness, it goes slowly at first, then it picks up speed, and then it stops just as abruptly. You watch and even travel to Puerto Rico a little, get acquainted with new places. The timing of the film is just as it should be, two hours of travel pass unnoticed. It is very good that the film is not boring, it just gives rest, personally I did not see boring scenes or incomprehensible and dull actions, everything happens as it should. I enjoyed the cock fights, it all looked funny. This film can be safely attributed to the genre of adventure, there is also a drama. I liked the end of the movie, the normal ending, the good story. It reminds me of the movie Cocaine. I may be wrong, but they are the same, but the subject matter is different. Beautifully made camera robot, beautifully all filmed, beaches, sea, landscapes at a height. It’s worth watching the movie for that.
Summing up, we can say that the film turned out not bad, all the ideas are old, but it is still interesting to see this. The film showed that you can not trust anyone, you need to achieve only yourself, if you make a mistake, you are out of the game. If you want to achieve something, you will certainly achieve it, you must only go forward. Director Bruce Robinson made an entertaining movie with Johnny Depp, he managed to do it, I am grateful to the director for the film. Of the drawbacks, we can only distinguish that the dialogue is too long, if it were not for them, the film could be made shorter, because some dialogues are tiresome.
Rum Diary is an interesting and resting film, beautiful and light. Fans of the work of Johnny Depp will certainly like the film, and so the film from the category for one time, and that picture will not appeal to everyone. Have a good time!
From the very first minutes, the plot of the film by Bruce Robinson strikingly differs from the novel of the same name by Hunter S. Thompson. It is not clear why the drunken and beaten Paul Camp wakes up in a hotel room, how he ended up in Puerto Rico, and what is going on here? Missed a comic scene on the plane with the beating of an old man and the first meeting with Sheno, which is evidence of the causal relationship of the entire life of an American journalist.
Replaced heroes, Yimon becomes for some reason Seggara, not so hot-tempered and strong, but rather pompous and pompous. Completely erased the image of Al and his masterpiece patio "Alov courtyard", where they sell only rum and hamburgers. It is not clear why drugs and records of Hitler's speeches are involved in the plot.
In general, Robinson significantly changed the plot of Thompson. The culmination of the latter was, in my opinion, a fight in a cafe with Puerto Ricans, the subsequent chase, the erotic dance of Cheno on the island, where the girl completely undresses, immersed in a world of lust and debauchery, then her abduction, and finally the death of Lotterman, who received what he deserved. The director deprived attention to these moments, ignored their importance for a full interpretation of Thompson’s work. Instead, the plot was supplemented with jokes, morals, aphorisms, which are so few in the book, comic situations, for example, a trip around the city in a disassembled car. All this, of course, adorned a rather boring spectacle, but nevertheless far removed from the original idea.
As for Paul Camp, in the film he is obsessively correct, although he must be the scoundrel who thinks only of himself, ready to abandon his friend and girlfriend in trouble to save his own life.
Overall, the film disappointed me. It lacked the piquancy of some scenes, the extremes of situations, the hopelessness and boredom that were soaked in all the inhabitants of Puerto Rico in 1960. The idea of the rum valley, where rum is consumed in such quantities that it is already part of the blood, is not emphasized. The villains are not punished, there are no heroes, and the most insulting thing is that Robinson, unlike Thompson, did not allow the viewer to figure out the end on his own, imposing his theory of the subsequent life of the characters.
I wanted to watch the film Rum Diary from the date of its release, but I watched it only six months later on TV. I was so sorry I didn’t see the movie before because it really worked!
I recommend a look. But at least for the sake of Johnny Depp, who in this film is like himself in life – the same way of speaking, the same facial expressions and gestures. But the game is great, as always. I don't understand why this actor wasn't nominated for an Oscar. I was also pleased with Aaron Eckhart, who played “majority” and his fickle girlfriend, played by the insanely beautiful Amber Heard.
Michael Rispoli, paired with Johnny Depp, added a bit of comedy to the dramatic film, once you remember their trip by car – I laughed from the beginning to the end of this scene.
The plot of the film is very complex and subtle, it touches on both political and social problems of mankind, so there is simply no point in painting it. Yes, sometimes the film seems long, but the impression of boredom is completely killed by the truly funny dialogues of the main characters.
I recommend watching the film, alone or with company - it does not matter. The important thing is that “Rum Diary” is a stunning dramatic comedy (!) with a magnificent acting and a visual picture of life in Puerto Rico in the 60s.
8 out of 10
P.S. - Who are you for?
- I-I'm somewhere in the middle.
I watched this film and caught myself thinking that the main character is not a hero at all. He is, but he seems not to be. What is Paul Kemp (played by Johnny Depp)? Right or wrong? Calm or hot-tempered? Conscientious or cynical? Who has a sure answer? All we know for sure is that Kemp, like Mussorgsky, was drunk. You can't really take that away from him. But Puerto Rico is not surprising to drink, right?
Kemp is not a decision maker, but rather an object that is influenced. There is such a kind of card game: “preference with a dummy”. A virtual peddler, without his own brains, will readily support all your ventures. A mad friend offers narcotic "eye drops" - well, let's try. A charming furnet requires you to increase speed - you will have to put pressure on the gas. The "land management" hulturk turned up - why not?
Every neighbor tries to go mad in his own way. Major Zimburger dreams of bombing the Soviet Union, photographer Bob Sala breeds combat roosters, beautiful Sean sunbathes without a swimsuit, alkaline philosopher Moberg listens to Hitler’s speeches. And Paul is what? On your own, without provocateurs? Nothing. I don't even wear a wig.
It is clear that the film, in fact, memorial, and friends of Hunter Thompson felt it necessary to perpetuate the memory of the person dear to them. But the man was more than extraordinary. Why can't you see that? “He always supported all endeavors” (option: “He was for any hippiege”) is an epitaph, of course, not bad, but, to put it mildly, not so honorable. Especially for such a charismatic and bright personality, which, no doubt, was Thompson.
The film has great images (I personally really liked Giovanni Ribisi as Moberg) and quite a lot of funny episodes, for example, a shot with a “fire-breathing dragon” or scenes in the editorial office. The authors are talented, original and proud of fiction. The film could be more than just a tribute to a close friend. I'm sorry I didn't.
