It’s 1960 and Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp) has just arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Going to work at a failing local newspaper staffed by layabouts and alcoholics, Kemp writes horoscopes and stories about tourists bowling, but also sees the dichotomy on the island, the impoverished locals being screwed by American hotel owners and land-grabbers. And in this, The Rum Diary seems most in tune with our times, as 99:1 is a ratio we’re seeing a lot of lately, the haves versus the have-nots. This adaptation of the Hunter S. Thompson novel sat on the shelf for awhile, probably because the studio had no idea how to sell it. It’s neither a wild farce nor terribly serious at any point, more a casual good time with solid performances, some wit in the dialogue and a meandering, thoughtful plot. Likely best-suited for fans of the late gonzo journalist who penned the thing.
This article appears in Oct 27 – Nov 2, 2011.
The Rum Diary
A Buried Treasure
“The Rum Diary has been consistently underrated by the critics and under publicized by the studios. Audiences who have been fortunate enough to see it have loved it. I would like to point out a few of its beauties before it disappears from our screens.
Sometimes a film actor seems to rise above all others in his generation and symbolize the mood of a decade. For the 1950’s it was Marlon Brando, in the 60’s Jean Paul Belmondo held the crown, in the 80’s and 90’s Robert DeNiro seemed to most express the period. For this decade Johnny Depp has swept away all contenders. In his new film “The Rum Diary” playing a young American reporter, based on the character of Hunter S Thompson in Puerto Rico during the 1950’s, Depp delivers an iconic performance. His unique style of acting does not rely on dialogue but is based on the use of facial expressions. By simply raising an eyebrow (even when wearing dark glasses), lowering one corner of his mouth into the suggestion of a scowl or putting on a happy face when all around him is mayhem he is able to convey great depths of emotion, wit and humor. By watching his face the audience is able to read into his mind. Very few actors have ever reached this level of screen acting. One of them was Harpo Marx. Depp’s performance is perfectly matched by director Bruce Robinson’s own delicious brand of surrealist humor reminiscent of the Marx Brothers that he developed in his first feature “Withnail and I” in 1987.
The film swings wildly between hilarious comedy (a Fiat 500 driving down a flight of steps with Depp bouncing up and down on the lap of his burly photographer friend),
a suspenseful car chase, a fantastical voodoo sequence, erotic flirtations with the sylph like actress Amber Heard playing the girl friend of a man he despises and direct political statements on the exploitation of the indigenous population of Puerto Rico by unscrupulous agents of American Corporations like Union Carbide. A walk through a filthy garbage dump where homeless children live in the shells of abandoned cars is followed by a trip to an exotic island paradise that is about to be turned into a luxury tourist resort. The reporter is offered a share in the profits if he writes a series of favorable articles encouraging the development of the island.
“The Rum Diary” resembles “The Motorcyle Diaries” based on the memoirs of Che Guevera, in the way it shows the growing social conscience of a young writer searching to find his own voice. At the extreme end of self destructive alcoholism and cynical despair, is the character of Moburg, a burnt out reporter played with verve by Giovanni Risi in a manic performance which is the opposite of Johnny Depp’s understated acting style. Hunter S Thompson will eventually become this character when he reaches the stage of “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” but for now he is still an idealist. Driven by a magnificent central performance, “The Rum Diary” achieves greatness by employing all the techniques of modern cinema used to their maximum efficiency, both entertaining and educating the audience simultaneously.