"The Rum Diary"

Drama, Mystery and Thriller. Rated R. 2 hours.

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Based on the novel by Hunter S. Thompson, set in 1960, Johnny Depp (Paul Kemp) plays a New York Times journalist who goes down to Puerto Rico to write for an English-language newspaper.

He begins to drink 161 little bottles of alcohol that were located in his hotel room refrigerator, thinking it was free. As he adopts the rum-drinking lifestyle of this tropical island, he becomes obsessed with getting to know Chenault (Amber Beard). But little did he know, she was engaged to Sanderson (Aaron Eckhart), a Connecticut businessman who moved down to Puerto Rico to change the island into a capitalist country but in a corrupt way.

Kemp is hired by Sanderson to write good things about his corrupt scheme but Kemp has reservations about doing it. In the meantime, Kemp tries to get to know Chenault, until he gets caught by Sanderson.

The Rum Diary was directed by Bruce Robinson. Tim Headington, Johnny Depp and Christi Dembrowski produced the movie. Bruce Robinson wrote the screenplay and Hunter S. Thompson wrote the novel.

The movie falls flat, in my opinion. The scenery of the ocean and beach is beautiful but some parts of Puerto Rico seems shady and dark. Not what you picture as paradise. There is some drug use and lots of alcohol abuse. I'd pass on seeing this one.

OVERALL RATING: D

Photo credit: Film District

The Rum Diary movie poster