Review of The Rum Diary (2011) by Mike C — 22 Jul 2012

I like Hunter S. Thompson and some of his writing. I love Amber Heard. In perhaps the most revered of my lists (besides top five movies of all-time, which is fairly easy to maintain as nothing new is ever good), she has occupied the No. 1 spot for a few years now. Just when I thought she might get bumped due to a lack of meat on her bones, she dons a little black dress and gets in a Corvette convertible. Okay, Ms. Heard, you can stay at No. 1.

Sadly, she is largely the reason I watched this, and the only reason I had to wait for the DVD when this is an instant watch on netflix. I do believe watching Ms. Heard in anything but the highest resolution is a crime, or at least should be. But it wasn't so bad. Johnny Depp still plays a version of Thompson, but it's much more tame than the drug-infused Fear and Loathing movie of 1998.

I have yet to read the book, but I have a copy at the moment, and I suspect it will be next on the list. Evidently, the book and film vary quite a bit, and I must say, the book does sound a lot better. Some say the movie is too tame. It is rated R, but there is not much swearing or drug use, just a lot of drinking. Not even a nipple to be found. So for a Thompson story, it is pretty tame. But it was his debut novel. But from the sounds of it, they cut some pretty nasty stuff and made a really cheesy, lazy ending. I will have to find out for myself, and that may lead to a demotion of the film if I remember to come back and change it.