Plot
American journalist Paul Kemp takes on a freelance job in Puerto Rico for a local newspaper during the 1950s and struggles to find a balance between island culture and the expatriates who live there.
Release Year: 2011
Rating: 6.4/10 (19,886 voted)
Critic's Score: 56/100
Director:
Bruce Robinson
Stars: Johnny Depp, Giovanni Ribisi, Aaron Eckhart
Storyline Hard-drinking journalist Paul Kemp takes a job at a besieged newspaper in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His volatile editor, Lotterman, assigns him to tourist pieces and horoscopes, but promises more. Paul rooms with Sala, an aging and equally alcoholic reporter, in a rundown flat. Sanderson, a wealthy entrepreneur, hires Paul to flack for a group of investors who plan to buy an island near the capital and build a resort. Sanderson's girl-friend, the beguiling Chenault, bats her eyes at Paul. His loyalties face challenges when he and Sala get in trouble with locals, when a Carnival dance enrages Sanderson, and when the paper hits the skids. Is the solution always alcohol?
Writers: Bruce Robinson, Hunter S. Thompson
Cast: Johnny Depp
-
Kemp
Aaron Eckhart
-
Sanderson
Michael Rispoli
-
Sala
Amber Heard
-
Chenault
Richard Jenkins
-
Lotterman
Giovanni Ribisi
-
Moberg
Amaury Nolasco
-
Segarra
Marshall Bell
-
Donovan
Bill Smitrovich
-
Mr. Zimburger
Julian Holloway
-
Wolsley
Karen Austin
-
Mrs. Zimburger
Bruno Irizarry
-
Lazar
Enzo Cilenti
-
Digby
Aaron Lustig
-
Monk
Tisuby González
-
Rosy
Taglines:
One part outrage. One part justice. Three parts rum. Mix well.
Opening Weekend: $5,135,369
(USA)
(30 October 2011)
(2272 Screens)
Gross: $13,100,042
(USA)
(18 December 2011)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia: Benicio Del Toro, Brad Pitt, Josh Hartnett and Nick Nolte were originally slated to appear.
Goofs:
Continuity:
When Kemp and Sanderson are talking and signing the contract, Kemp lights a cigarette and in the next cut its gone.
Quotes:
[from trailer]
Paul Kemp:
I thought maybe you were a mermaid. Chenault:
I'm from Connecticut.
User Review
One king hell of a movie for HST fans.
Rating: 10/10
I'm a huge Hunter S Thompson fan, but I was feeling very weary of this
film since it has been shelved for almost a year now. I attended the
world premiere last night, and I can report with absolute sincerity
that if you loved HST's work, this will not disappoint.
The one problem many die hard fans of the book may have is with the
character of Sanderson. In the book Paul Kemp and Sanderson represent
the dueling persona's of Hunter, one being a cutthroat athletic type,
the other being the booze-hound anti-authoritarian. In this film,
Johnny Depp plays more to the character being a young HST and combines
the characteristics of both into Kemp. Some may have a problem with
this, but the movie is stronger for it as you are only rooting for the
protagonist while giving the story a strong antagonist, a necessity in
filmmaking.
In my eyes, this is Bruce Robinson's best work on screen to date,
Johnny Depp is absolutely awe-inspiringly believable as a very young
and constrained Hunter, and the cast could not have been more dead on.
I'll be seeing this several more times in the theaters in the coming
months.
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