'The Rum Diary' review

Johnny Depp (Credit: Peter Mountain/FilmDistrict/GK Films)

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In the early '60s, celebrated Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson moved to Puerto Rico where he briefly worked as a newspaper reporter. His adventures inspired a semi-autobiographical novel about a novice journalist finding his way—and his voice—amid slushed-out hijinks. Thompson alter ego Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp), a onetime New York reporter slumming it at a fledgling San Juan daily, gets caught up with oily financier Sanderson (Aaron Eckhart). He wants Paul to write a fluff piece about a shady new real-estate development, but Paul's distracted by Sanderson's femme-fatale girlfriend Chenault (Amber Heard).

The buzz: Depp was a close friend and fan of Thompson, having played him in 1998's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and reportedly molding his character in "Rango" on the late author. Depp was also the catalyst for "The Rum Diary." The unpublished manuscript lay buried in Thompson's basement until Depp unearthed it with the author in the '90s, persuaded him to publish it, and championed it into this big-screen adaptation.

The verdict: Thompson's exploits are perfectly suited to Depp's own madcap tastes, and it's a no-brainer to understand why the actor pursued this project with admirable drive (he serves as the film's co-producer). Contradictory as it may seem, Depp is refreshingly sober in his portrayal of the booze-soaked Paul, reining in the crazy in favor of a more measured and focused take. Here, Depp's a wigged-out observer instead of a scene-hogging centerpiece, choosing not to overplay and allow the movie's manic chicanery—and there's no shortage of that—to steal the spotlight. There are cartoonish sidekicks (Giovanni Ribisi jiggers in and out as Paul's strung-out colleague), a vaudeville-worthy ride in a rundown car with oafish photographer Sala (played with unhinged slack by Michael Rispoli), and—you saw this coming, yes?—a drug-fueled hallucination in a shabby, shady room. The withering story itself, though, isn't sturdy enough to support its vibrant and twitchy cast, and struggles to find a snappy rhythm and purpose. As this woozy cocktail of an adventure stumbles to an abrupt non-ending, it loses its kick and fizz, nose-diving from tipple-tastic bender to glassy-eyed comedown.

Did you know? Thompson wrote "The Rum Diary" when he was in his twenties. In order to preserve its authentic tone and voice, his publisher had to dissuade him from drastically tweaking the original manuscript.

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