Surrounded by character all bent on self-destruction, freelance American journalist, Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp) takes on a job in Puerto Rico circa 1960. And like a scene out of The Hangover the film opens in a hotel room where Kemp has no idea what’s going on or why he’s there. The paper’s editor (Richard Jenkins) is looking for a fresh and enthusiastic approach to horoscopes. Apparently the last writer was ‘raped’ to death in a bathroom stall by sailors. Not sure why Kemp would fly all this way for THIS silly assignment????
Maybe because Kemp longs to be young, reckless and in constant trouble, whether being arrested, racing cars or chasing somebody else’s girl…in this case, Chenault, played poorly by Amber Heard though she’s sort of a Grace Kelly knockoff especially seated next to Kemp in a racing vehicle. And thank GOD they race around because we don’t care about them, but we don’t want them to crash and die either.
Kemp is constantly glazed over, hiding behind root beer colored glasses, and intoxicated. When he does speak he says absolutely nothing of relevance. But his facial expressions are total Depp. The character who steals the film is his sidekick and fellow journalist (Michael Rispoli) even though he too, is constantly drunk on Rum.
Aaron Eckhart plays Sanderson who has interest in politics, money and island developing not to mention a job at being very handsome to look at in his white linen-crisp attire. Hard to imagine his girl Chenault is only to eager to stray.
Based on an old autobiography that Depp pulled out of novelist Hunter S. Thompson’s drawer, one has to wonder why Depp would be drawn to this character? Is it for the same reasons as before? Is Depp tired of being thought of as the perfect movie star and through this character again (remember Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) he can draw on his darker flaws? He’s done it time and time again. As the Coked out George Jung in Blow, as the meatchopper in Sweeney Todd and as the wacky Jack in Pirates of the Caribbean. He’s very much a Peter Pan which is also interesting as he starred in Finding Neverland ABOUT Peter Pan.
The directing is sassy, the soundtrack enticing, the script average, so in the end it only adds up to a mediocre movie. He should have stayed in New York. Two tiaras