The Rum Diary (11/11/11)
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.
Erm, I don’t know what to say about The Rum Diary. That’s not a good thing. It felt like a bit of a mess at times but other times, it had a bit more going for it. I just couldn’t follow it some of the time. There were some good, funny moments. Other moments I got bored and just couldn’t care.
The brightest point of the film was Giovanni Ribisi. He’s great! Ok, his role’s quite small. But he makes an impact when he’s onscreen.
I know there’s a message behind the film, but it felt a little lost to me. By the end of the film I didn’t care about it.
Now I understand why critics were split on this film. Though I wouldn’t say I hated, but then again I didn’t love it either. Nor do I think I like it. Just call me confused!
Rating: 2/5
Read on to see the entire list of movies seen this year so far:
90 Movies so far this Year
- The Horse Whisperer 3/5 (01/01/11)
- The Informant! 3/5 (09/01/11)
- The Fighter 4/5 (11/01/11)
- 127 Hours 5/5 (14/01/11)
- The Wolfman 3/5 (15/01/11)
- Believe: The Eddie Izzard Story 4/5 (16/01/11)
- The King’s Speech 5/5 (19/01/11)
- The Town 4/5 (20/01/11)
- Ninja Assassin 2/5 (24/01/11)
- He’s Just Not That Into You 1/5 (25/01/11)
- Imagine That 1/5 (27/01/11)
- Gentlemen Broncos 2/5 (04/02/11)
- Hachi: A Dog’s Tale 4/5 (06/02/11)
- Daybreakers 3/5 (12/02/11)
- The Book of Eli 2/5 (13/02/11)
- True Grit 4/5 (15/02/11)
- Red 1/5 (19/02/11)
- Invictus 3/5 (20/02/11)
- Coraline 2/5 (28/02/11)
- Juno 3/5 (02/03/11)
- Monsters vs. Aliens 1/5 (06/03/11)
- Jennifer’s Body 2/5 (06/03/11)
- Rango 4/5 (09/03/11)
- The Crazies 4/5 (11/03/11)
- Lakeview Terrace 1/5 (12/03/11)
- Battle: Los Angeles 3/5 (13/03/11)
- Submarine 4/5 (14/03/11)
- The Adjustment Bureau 2/5 (16/03/11)
- Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief 2/5 (18/03/11)
- The Happening 1/5 (19/03/11)
- Sucker Punch 2/5 (02/04/11)
- Carriers 1/5 (03/04/11)
- Source Code 4/5 (06/04/11)
- 3:10 to Yuma 3/5 (09/04/11)
- Walking Tall 1/5 (12/04/11)
- Your Highness 3/5 (13/04/11)
- El Mariachi 3/5 (14/03/11)
- From Paris With Love 3/5 (15/04/11)
- Scream 4 3/5 (16/04/11)
- Hot Tub Time Machine 2/5 (17/04/11)
- Attack the Block 4/5 (20/04/11)
- The International 2/5 (23/04/11)
- Thor 5/5 (25/04/11)
- Fast & Furious 5: Rio Heist 5/5 (28/04/11)
- A Beautiful Mind 4/5 (06/05/11)
- Extract 2/5 (05/05/11)
- Hanna 4/5 (06/05/11)
- Catfish 3/5 (07/05/11)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 2/5 (20/05/11)
- The Hangover Part II 3/5 (27/05/11)
- How to Train Your Dragon 4/5 (28/05/11)
- Zodiac 4/5 (28/05/11)
- Up in the Air 5/5 (30/05/11)
- X-Men: First Class 4/5 (01/06/11)
- Electra Luxx 3/5 (04/06/11)
- The Usual Suspects 5/5 (05/06/11)
- Senna 5/5 (10/06/11)
- The Human Centipede 1/5 (10/06/11)
- Green Lantern 2/5 (17/06/11)
- Paul 3/5 (18/06/11)
- Transformers: Dark of the Moon 4/5 (29/06/11)
- Predators 2/5 (30/07/11)
- Captain America: The First Avenger 3/5 (31/07/11)
- Super 8 5/5 (11/08/11)
- The Secret in Their Eyes 5/5 (13/08/11)
- [Rec] 2 3/5 (14/08/11)
- Rise of the Planet of the Apes 4/5 (16/08/11)
- Cowboys & Aliens 4/5 (18/08/11)
- Final Destination 5 4/5 (19/08/11)
- Micmacs 3/5 (21/08/11)
- Conan the Barbarian 3/5 (27/08/11)
- Legion 1/5 (27/08/11)
- Limitless 3/5 (29/08/11)
- Apollo 18 1/5 (02/09/11)
- The Warriors 4/5 (04/09/11)
- Ondine 3/5 (07/09/11)
- TrollHunter 5/5 (09/09/11)
- Burke & Hare 2/5 (16/09/11)
- Jackass 3 3/5 (16/09/11)
- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 5/5 (23/09/11)
- Drive 4/5 (28/09/11)
- Don’t be Afraid of the Dark 4/5 (12/10/11)
- Paranormal Activity 3 3/5 (21/10/11)
- I Am Number Four 3/5 (23/10/11)
- Contagion 3/5 (25/10/11)
- The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn 4/5 (27/10/11)
- The Thing 4/5 (29/10/11)
- The Ides of March 5/5 (01/11/11)
- In Time 3/5 (02/11/11)
- The Rum Diary 2/5 (11/11/11)
Boasts a highly impressive cast and contains some great touches, but it’s too long by a half hour and meanders severely in its second half. Nice review Jaina.
Personally, I think Johnny Depp needs to up his game more. He’s a great actor, but he gets away a lot of the time by just using his same old routine.