Skip to content

The Meh Diary

By Robert.

November 20, 2011

nullAfter doing a mixture of freelance work and nothing yesterday, I got a text message from a friend. ¿Rob, que haces? it said… and nada I said.  So we had to fix that.  A midnight movie was called, and after spending about 18 seconds on the Cine app, my friend and I decided to head down to Fine Arts Café for a midnight movie.  Which midnight movie?  The Rum Diary.

It stars Johnny Depp as Paul Kemp, a fictional writer for the now defunct San Juan Star newspaper. The character is obviously based on Hunter S. Thompson when he wrote for the same newspaper.  The plot follows Kemp while he obsesses over a woman named Chenault (Amber Heard), the fiancée of Sanderson  (Aaron Eckhart) a corrupt businessman and developer attempting to exploit Puerto Rico’s resources for his personal gain (sound familiar?)

As the movie is a period piece, it pays fairly good attention to detail, with plenty of Cerveza India and Corona advertisements in the background of the sets, as well as 1950’s and 60’s Yank Tanks on the streets. If you didn’t know it was Puerto Rico, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was Cuba.  However, as good as the details are, there are mistakes, such as visible 1970’s & 80’s buildings.  I suppose its $45 million dollar budget wasn’t enough to raze some of these high rises.

The acting was phenomenal, with all actors portraying their roles quite well, but at the end, the story, and lack of a coherent plot let it down.  Some may argue that “it’s Hunter S. Thompson”, but no amount of hero-worship can fix the plot (or lack thereof).

With how many of its scenes were filmed in the country and on the beach, this movie could be a commercial for Puerto Rican tourism.  However, one thing eliminates that possibility: us as Puerto Ricans.  Or rather, our polarizing portrayal.  We are shown protesting workers, corrupt government employees, or jíbaros with a chip on our shoulder.  As a Puerto Rican I found it brutally honest, but shockingly inaccurate in how they were portrayed (¡Gringo Cabrón!). However, I found it understandable when viewed through the filter of a 1960’s Yanqui accompanied by an asshole mainlander just 6 years after the US Capitol Shooting.

In the end, this movie is one that is best left for DVD (or Bittorrent), and one that fails to be the commercial for Puerto Rico tourism I had hoped for.  Watch it for the acting and pretty scenery, but ignore the lack of a plot.

C+.

No related posts.

  • David

    Felicidades por el  nuevo bling de la acera. No se si puede haber una película que sirva como anuncio a Puerto Rico. Si muestras la realidad, la campaña de Puerto Rico does it better queda como un fraude. Tal vez si se hace una de zombis, vampiros o mejor aún, el chupacabras (en la que espero se papeen al alcalde que lo busca). Algo tal vez con un toque de Chtulu. Lo otro sería una comedia absurda, pero no se si eso sea rentable más allá de la historia misma. Veré la película de todas formas. Porque es sobre la primera obra de Thompson, porque se desarrolla en PR y porque mala no será.

    • Robert

      Gracias por las felicitaciones. El update era necesario.

      La realidad es que turismo no sabe como vender a Puerto Rico debido a que hasta esa agencia es politizada.  Para mi que la publicidad de Rum Diary fue mejor publicidad para Puerto Rico que la de turismo, debido a que mostro el lado risky-divertido de Puerto Rico.

      Para mi que muestren el jolglorio, que muestren los casinos, los deportes extremos…. no more fucking photographs from 50 years ago.