if I had gone to see this with no knowledge of it's back story, I still would have enjoyed it. It was funnier than I was expecting and there was romance throughout. I was definitely interested the entire two hours. It is worth the price of a ticket because as usual, Johnny Depp delivered.

young HST and combines the characteristics of both into Kemp. Some may have a problem with this, but the movie is stronger for it as you are only rooting for the protagonist while giving the story a strong antagonist, a necessity in filmmaking.In my eyes, this is Bruce Robinson's best work on screen to date, Johnny Depp is absolutely awe-inspiringly believable as a very young and constrained Hunter, and the cast could not have been more dead on. I'll be seeing this several more times in the theaters in the coming months.

the entire cast and crew with a big smirk on his beautiful, weathered face. He would be proud. Do not miss this movie or let some vacant review keep you from it. It's the best film I have seen in a very long time!

personally think this film was perfect. The leading actress/actors were perfect and the supporting cast phenomenal, especially Giovanni Ribisi. The only problem with this film in my opinion is that if you are not a fan of the gibbering, artistically nervous tone of most of Thompson's work, this film may be too heavy for you. Although it's easier to follow that Fear and Loathing which scrupulously stuck to the dialogue from the novel Fear and loathing , many would find the dialogue bizarre.Personally I loved every minute of this film and think it's already truly underrated.

set in the 1950's and follows Depp through the character of Paul Kemp who moves to Puerto Rico as a journalist who is in search of work, a good story and possibly something more. With his new job comes new friendships, utter absurdity, vast amounts of alcohol all topped off with a blonde bombshell.The Rum Diary displays beautiful visual strategies in stages throughout the narrative. Being based on the island of Puerto Rico the camera work certainly fetishises the beauty of the island in the same way in which beauty Chenault Amber herd is captured. Her blonde hair and blue eyes offer the same satisfaction as long stretching beaches and deep blue oceans. The visual strategies are very creative and often juggle between states of mind that Kemp and others alike are under. This being most apparent in a scene between Kemp and co-worker Sala, when experiencing an unknown drug, which is taken as eye drops. Similar visuals between this scene and ones in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas can be matched, and anyone who is familiar to this film knows that experiences of intoxication are to be had. The hazy and slow motion camera work have been closely thought out to create these effects over us, the audience, as we are able to be a part of these actions.One thing that I have been highly impressed with is the script itself; people have mentioned that The Rum Diary has not lived up to expectations and could have been better. However, this is not my personal opinion and I will offer a different outlook on the matter. My expectations of the film were not high due to these reviews but I am an individual who likes to make my own assumptions. The storyline offered, in my opinion, intriguing characters that all offer special characteristics in the narrative. They have been well thought of and are strong and understood rather than being weak or pointless. Moberg, played by Giovanni Ribisi, is a violent, black mailing, alcoholic who works in the newspaper with Kemp and Sala but rarely shows up to work and on the odd occasion he does he is drunk. The character is built to represent the pointlessness of the newspaper and seems to have worked out what Kemp has yet to learn already. His far fetched logic and actions all add up to a comic effect in the story which present light relief to a dramatic storyline. Scenes involving Voodoo witches and Nazi uniforms add to the surreal yet humorous conventions The Rum Diary offers.As I mentioned, my expectations of The Rum Diary weren't at all particularly high but because of this aspect I think I enjoyed the spectacle more and was pleasantly surprised. The storyline keeps on going and I was never left with the feeling of it dragging on but left wanting more, which the film could have easily done without becoming numb. The characters are entertaining as well as fresh and the surreal aspects certainly are not typical in everyday Hollywood blockbusters. The film is defiantly worth watching in terms of its originality as well as the comical moments and strong storyline.Defiantly a film worth seeing and remembering. You don't have to be under the influence to enjoy this ride

great as a drunk journalist, lately, every role with him I saw, its just pure magic. His role is a bit controversial, or at least as Johhny said in one of his European interviews defending this film, few aspects of the film are not made for the American audience, I guess you have to watch the film and judge for yourself on this one. What else can I say, I was surprised, very underrated movie, don't go in expecting Withnail & I or Fear and Loathing because those movies are masterpieces in their own right, and its very hard to make something similar to them especially Fear and Loathing but this film definitely comes close in its atmosphere, pacing, and friendly feeling to Withnail & I, so don't go in expecting it to be Fear or Withnail, but keep in mind the charm is there. Give it a try and you will not regret it. "_"

outstanding job as Depp's sidekick and American guide to Puerto Rico. Ribosi's character survives on rum and the occasional hamburger. Despite his character's self-destructive nature, his character adds warmth and humanity to the film.I initially went to see Rum Diary for its setting in Puerto Rico. I have lived in Puerto Rico and visited many times. The rural settings accurately depict the rural Puerto Rican lifestyle even today. And the beauty of the island and Old San Juan is captured nicely throughout the movie, albeit less than I hoped.The Rum Diary is a captivating look into a fascinating and flawed character in a unique time and place.

who could have been replaced by a mannequin with the same effect.

reporters involve themselves in the action to such a degree that they become central figures of their stories. He is known also for his lifelong use of alcohol, LSD, mescaline, and cocaine among other substances ; his love of firearms; his inveterate hatred of Richard Nixon; and his iconoclastic contempt for authoritarianism. In 1960 Thompson moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to take a job with the sporting magazine El Sportivo, which folded soon after his arrival. Thompson applied for a job with the Puerto Rico English-language daily The San Juan Star, but its managing editor, future novelist William J. Kennedy, turned him down. Nonetheless, the two became friends and after the demise of El Sportivo, Thompson worked as a stringer for the New York Herald Tribune and a few stateside papers on Caribbean issues with Kennedy working as his editor. While suffering a bout of health problems, he committed suicide in 2005 at the age of 67.'In the film version of Thompson's autobiographical book, Paul Kemp Johnny Depp is a freelance journalist who finds himself at a critical turning point in his life while writing for a run-down newspaper in the Caribbean under toupeed editor Lotterman Richard Jenkins . He is accompanied by the staff photographer Sala Michael Rispoli , the drunken staff writer Moberg Giovanni Ribisi in his discovery of the many wonders of Puerto Rico, not the least of which is a group of entrepreneurs lead by Sanderson Aaron Eckhart - who happens to be living with the stunning Chenault Amber Heard who Paul is attracted to - and a series of disreputable business men bent on 'touristifyng' a neighboring island. Paul is a drunk and finds innumerable distractions and challenges as he tries to worm his way through the playing field of lost souls.The story is Hunter S. Thompson all the way and Bruce Robinson has adapted Thompson's book in much the same way the novelist communicates: Robinson also directs. Depp, as usual, manages to make the strange lead character not only interesting but also ingratiating. The supporting cast is solid. The film gets off track many times, but as pure entertainment it is a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours watching Depp create another memorable character based on life! Grady Harp