DVD reviews: Johnny Depp's not quite gonzo in 'The Rum Diary'
In "The Rum Diary," directed by Bruce Robinson ("Withnail and I"), Johnny Depp plays another incarnation of his friend, the late gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson. The first time out was in Terry Gilliam's 1998 movie "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." In the new film, taken from an early novel by Thompson, the actor plays a newspaperman named Paul Kemp who lands a job in San Juan, Puerto Rico, around 1960.
Thompson, as we know, was almost as much about his image as he was about his writing, but whatever drug or booze haze/hallucinations he wrote through, the journalist was often wildly entertaining and razor-sharp in his observations.
Depp's Paul is not there yet. He hasn't found his voice, though he has found the rum. Eventually, though, he begins to be roused when he discovers that his job is less about reporting and more about protecting the colonial powers.
His distaste for this inside job puts him at odds with his newspaper editor (Richard Jenkins) and the moneyed interests represented by Hal Sanderson (Aaron Eckhart), who lives the high life with a cool beach house, a sports car and a sexy girlfriend named Chenault (Amber Heard).
"The Rum Diary" is sort of a coming to his senses by losing his senses with booze story. The film is amiable enough, but has neither the edge nor delightful bizarreness of Thompson's writing.
'Take Shelter'
Uncertainty plagues everyone. "Take Shelter" plays with that fear to create a puzzler that in its own way is just as frightening as any horror film."Boardwalk Empire's" Michael Shannon plays Curtis, a middle-class Ohio husband with a loving wife (Jessica Chastain) and a deaf daughter. Though employed with benefits, Curtis can't shake a feeling of dread, which manifests in scary visions and dreams.
The heretofore solid construction worker then begins to think he's going
"Take Shelter"
Is it madness or is Curtis simply glimpsing a future where things are falling apart? "Take Shelter" tantalizingly keeps you wondering.
Comments
Post a Comment