Konterr Brilliant and touching

Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Skyler Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

Python Hyena Rum Diary (2011): Dir: Bruce Robinson / Cast: Johnny Depp, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Rispoli, Amber Heard, Giovanni Ribisi: Based on Hunter S. Thompson's first book, here we have career seen through the lens of alcohol and narcotics. Johnny Depp play journalist Paul Kemp who awakens in Puerto Rico to start a job with a failing magazine. At first he is reduced to stories regarding overweight tourists at bowling alleys but before long he is addressed to draw favor for a scheme involving the building of a hotel on an island off Puerto Rico. This is Depp's second performance as Thompson after portraying him as Raoul Duke in the underrated Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Here he is drawn out on alcohol where humour plays a part, but he grows suspicious when the poor are degraded and the rich only dominate. Arron Eckhart plays Hal Sanderson, a crooked businessman who seeks Kemp's services. He mistreats the poor but bails Kemp and Sale out when the two land in court after erupting a mob at a restaurant. Michael Rispoli steals his moments as magazine photographer Sale who allows Kemp shelter in his broken down residence. Sale is involved in cock fighting for cash and his push start vehicle becomes one massive sight joke. Giovanni Ribisi also surfaces as a lowlife reporter strutting around dressed in rags. The big disappointment is Amber Heard as Sanderson's girlfriend Chenault who is basically a romantic tease for Kemp, and her behavior renders her less than sympathetic. It is another bizarre observation through the eyes and liquor glass of the great writer himself. Score: 8 ½ / 10

FilmBuff1994 The Rum Diary is a decent movie with a good storyline and a talented cast. The films plot is all over the place and it is certainly hard to follow at times, the characters are quite strange and sadly not likable enough for me to have any bit of care for them. The cast is very good and Johnny Depp certainly delivers a great performance, like he always does, but they simply weren't enough to help this movie become anything memorable or really worth watching. It had a lot of potential, but the Rum Diary mostly let me down and because of that I can only recommend it if you ever see it on television and have some time to kill. An author moves to Puerto Rico hoping to develop a more commercial writing style, but he instead gets mixed up in local politics. Best Performance: Johnny Depp

Hugo Houyez It's this kind of movie to me that makes me feel in holiday, I feel so good watching it that's why I've already watched it 10 times at least, and still I'm not getting bored. It's the sense of humor in the movie, the jokes and the overall feeling, really out of this stressed life we have, characters are very relaxed and chill. If you haven't's watched it yet, I recommend. I'm not sure you'll see what I mean if I says it's kinda the same feeling I had for The two faces of January, it was great.. If you like those kind of ambiances, it's cool. For the story, it's this cool guy, a journalist arriving in Purto Rico, I wish I could go there, and I will. He arrives there and end up working with some rich guys on a project, but he has values.

bowmanblue The Rum Diaries is based on another of writer Hunter S Thompson's books. Depp originally played the man himself in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and gained many fans, much kudos and critical accolade in the process. Therefore, it was fair to say that when people found out that Depp would, once again, be playing Hunter S Thompson, they expected more of the same.How wrong they were.Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a trippy, drug-fuelled, crazy, chaotic mess that only the talents of Terry Gilliam at the helm could really bring to the screen. It was mad and it worked. However, the Rum Diary falls at the first hurdle for being as far away from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as is possible to get.First of all, it's described as an 'Action/adventure/drama/comedy.' That is a clue as to another of its failings. It has no idea what it wants to be. It borrows elements from all of those genres, but can never quite decide which one it wants to be and ends up being none of the above. There's not enough action, not enough comedy and no real drama. As for 'adventure' - I would describe an Indiana Jones film as an adventure. The Rum Diary is NOT Indiana Jones.Johnny Depp is a master at playing larger-than-life characters, yet his version of Paul Kemp is pretty flat. The other characters all seem like they're just about to start being wacky, but the camera cuts away before they can truly shine.Johnny Depp will always be one of the great modern actors of our time and The Rum Diary will do little to dampen his appeal. He just had an off day/film (or two off days if you've seen The Tourist). The Rum Diary just isn't interesting on any level. Too long. Too slow. Too unsure of itself. And when it does show signs of promise (and there are the occasional flares of the Depp/Thompson we want to see) it's too little too late.http://thewrongtreemoviereviews.blogspot.co.uk/