Review of Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2008) by Andrew L — 09 Jun 2009

After reading a lot of his writing and watching this documentary, I still can't completely figure him out. He has this Andy Kafuman-esque way about him where you never can tell who he really is. Is he a brilliant significant writer who acts strangely because he takes so many drugs? Is it all an act to make himself seem more interesting? Or is he just a really weird guy? I don't know, but it goes into all of those questions.

The documentary is really interesting though and has a lot of telling interviews and is narrated by Johnny Depp reading Hunter's writing. It spans his entire life, but it doesn't really go into much of what happened to him in the 80s and 90s, even though it touches on why he wasn't very productive.

All the other parts of him writing about the Hell's Angels, finding the American dream, and following politics are all well covered. It's got a lot of great music too and images from the two films made about his life.

Great documentary and worth seeing.