Not having read Hunter S. Thompson`s celebrated celebration of journalism, drugs and anarchy Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, I had no expectations of Terry Gilliams`film version.
Having seen the film I`m now quite keen to avoid the book.
The film is based on a trip Thompson took to Las Vegas to cover a sporting event. His alter ego is Raoul Duke - Johnny Depp - who rides in a red convertible with a trunk full of substances of abuse - drugs of every description plus alcohol. Riding in the passenger seat is his activist attorney Dr. Gonzo - Benicio del Toro - looking rather bloated, as he should considering the amount he abuses his body.
We encounter the pair mid-binge and ride along for a series of wayward encounters with various Las Vegas characters played by Gary Busey, Christina Ricci, Ellen Barkin,Mark Harmon and Cameron Diaz. The bingers are not a pretty sight.
The affected performance of Johnny Depp, supposedly to reincarnate his creator on screen, is a major turn-off - he mumbles, his actions are unintelligible. Del Toro just mumbles. Garish is a word that comes to mind when I think about this film - and boring.
The film meanders, it doesn`t seem to have much of a point except to remind us just how tedious drunks and junkies can be.
This is a major disappointment from director Terry Gilliam who`s notorious for bringing strange universes successfully to the screen in films like Brazil, 12 Monkeys, The Fisher King and even The Adventures Of Baron Munchhausen.
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