Cast: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Aaron Eckhart, Richard Jenkins, Giovanni Ribisi
Director: Bruce Robinson
Rating: 2 / 5
Rum flows like a river... ironically the movie is still somewhat tasteless and dry!
-By Priyanka Ketkar
When a person finds himself at crossroads, the best solution to get out of the situation is... no, not yoga or meditation! It is Rum of course; at least that is what the Rum Diary tells us. The Rum Diary- a film directed by Bruce Robinson based on the novel by Hunter S. Thompson is all about free-flowing Rum; ironically it still ends up leaving the movie quite dry.
Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp) is an un-published writer and in order to continue writing, he wants to work somewhere to channelize his creativity. His impressive resume lands him a job at a local newspaper. But Kemp is unsure whether he should restrict his creativity to writing daily horoscopes or take up some other challenging writing job which gives him a lot of "writer's freedom". An opportunity knocks at the door just about the same time when the filthy rich Sanderson (Aaron Echkart) offers Kemp a writing assignment to advertise property at a remote island. The only reason to take-up the offer is the green notes and the supremely attractive Chennault (Amber Heard), the girlfriend of Sanderson (and of course the fact that he owes his freedom and life to Sanderson after a certain drunken "hangover" type incident).
Anyway so being in the company of these so-called classy people and at the same time staying in absolute poverty among the other equally miserable, poor people suddenly makes him see the stark difference in the two worlds. Will money triumph over the want to see a change in the society? Will Paul be able to resist the temptation of superb, expensive clothes and cars, and instead take up journalism? Will he find out what he really wants to do and who he really is? All these questions would have been answered with clarity only (no, I am not going to say-"only if you watch the movie") and only if the screenplay was a bit crisper.
The problem with the movie is that it just moves on endlessly and the attempt to show the writer's predicament is too overt without much conviction to it. There is no beard, no swearing and no patch, Johnny Depp looks different, he looks clean but the outcome of his performance comes as quite a disappointment (of course I don't expect him to be dressed up like a Pirate or act like one when he is supposed to act as a journalist but it is just that he doesn't make a very convincing journalist). Two people, in fact three people who have actually saved the film from falling flat are Richard Jenkins as Lotterman, Giovanni Ribsi as Moburg and of course the dialogue writer himself is the saving grace. Giovanni has out-shone and his occasional appearances with a few quirky punch-lines, makes it for a good, hearty laugh. Another delightful part in the movie is Depp's easy rapport with Michael Rispoli, as the photographer or the sidekick.
The Rum Diary on the whole would've made quite an entertaining movie considering the strong star-cast but it simply falls flat and fails to impress. The dialogues, a few scenes here & there and the very beautiful Puerto Rican feel which the movie has owing to its brilliant camera work make you want to sit through the entire movie.