FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS
VEGAS
RATING: 7 / 10 --> Good movie
Review
Date:
May 23, 1998
Director:
Terry Gilliam
Writers:
Tod Davies and Alex
Cox
Producer:
Patrick Cassavetti, Laila Nabulsi and Stephen Nemeth
Actors:
Johnny
Depp as Hunter S. Thompson (AKA Raoul
Duke)
Benicio Del Toro as Dr. Gonzo
Genre:
Dramedy
Year of Release:
1998
Film adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's infamous
semi-autobiographical hallucinogen-fueled book of the same title.
Director Terry Gilliam of TWELVE MONKEYS (8/10) and BRAZIL (7/10)
fame, took over the helm of this project after fellow director
Alex Cox (SID AND NANCY (7.5/10)) "apparently alienated
everyone associated with the movie", according to Gilliam.
PLOT:
Writer Thompson (Depp) heads down to Las Vegas with his attorney
Dr. Gonzo (Del Toro) to cover a motorcycle race. During their
trip, they systematically consume "two bags of grass,
seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high powered
blotter acid, a salt shaker half-full of cocaine, a whole galaxy
of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers, a quart of
tequila, a quart of rum, a case of beer, a pint of raw ether and
two dozen amyls. The movie presents us with the results of that
heavy drug use.
CRITIQUE:
I have given this movie two separate ratings because I believe
that the enjoyment of this psychedelic picture is highly
correlated with the amount of drugs or alcohol that would be
floating around in the viewer's own mind, whilst inhaling this
cinematic vision of excess. If you are prepared to get high or
intoxicated before watching this film, I would say that this is
one picture that you will thoroughly enjoy on a multitude of
colorful levels. If, on the other hand, you decide to stray from
the addition of nefarious elements to your system, I could not
imagine you truly appreciating much of this drug-induced
picture's entire ride (5.5/10 for all those sober dogs). Note: I
have not read Thompson's book.
Having said that, JoBlo did engage in an alcohol-based
consumatory session before (and during) the viewing of this film,
so his critique of the film should be appreciated on that level.
This movie relies heavily on style and peculiar humour, rather
than substance or plot. It moves admirably from one scene to the
next, without much basis of their being, while presenting us with
the two days in the life of writer Hunter S. Thompson during
which he seemed to consume more drugs and alcohol than anyone
could ever imagine. It was 1971, and the times were apparently
"a' changing" in the States.
Johnny Depp chews into his role like an overgrown child sucking
on a chocolate lollipop. During the filming, Depp apparently
become fast friends with real-life writer Thompson, and was known
to wander off the set from time to time, for the sake of checking
out the newest barmaid at the local watering hole. I thought he
did seem to exaggerate his walk a little bit too much, but then
again, this movie is supposed to be a wild exaggeration of
everything and anything, so who am I to talk.
The one thing that did blow my mind was the actual physical
transformation endured by actor Benicio Del Toro for his role as
Dr. Gonzo. I couldn't believe that this fat, Samoan lawyer, was
the same guy who played the slick mumbling criminal in THE USUAL
SUSPECTS (7.5/10). Word on the street is that gained over 40
pounds for this role, and I must say that his look was
deliciously reprehensible. Plenty of cameos also pepper this
kaleidoscopic moving picture in the form of Ellen Barkin,
Christina Ricci, Tobey Maguire and Cameron Diaz, along with a
bunch of others.
Other than that, the soundtrack was expectedly eclectic, the
style was not as wild as I thought it would be, and the ending
was certainly not much of a barn-burner, but then again, who
really noticed. This movie is about visions of bats floating
through your head, Johnny Depp looking goofy and being bald, and
the cornucopia of drug-ravaged scenes filling your own
intoxicated system with ideas of anarchy, rebellion and the lost
American Dream. And for all those who plan on seeing this movie
without the partnership of a mean drink or a mighty doobie, I
suggest you move further down the aisle, buy yourself a ticket to
GODZILLA
(6/10), and enjoy
the visual fabrications manufactured for the unstimulated mind.
Little Known Facts:
Depp and Del Toro snorted plenty of powdered milk instead of
cocaine.
Bill Murray also portrayed a Thompson-based character in the film
WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM.
Johnny Depp turned down roles in THE THREE MUSKETEERS, SPEED
(7.5/10), and LEGENDS OF THE FALL (7.5/10), for smaller and
quirkier roles in BENNY AND JOON (6.5/10) and WHAT'S EATING
GILBERT GRAPE? (7/10).
In 1988, Depp told Rolling Stone magazine that he'd tried every
drug by the age of 14.
Johnny hung out with some of the members of Oasis while filming
the uncompleted DIVINE RAPTURE in Ireland, and later played some
slide guitar on the 1997 album, Be Here Now.
Johnny was born in Kentucky, is a high-school dropout, has
nicknamed himself "Mr. Stench", has been engaged to
four women until now (including actress Winona Ryder, whose
"Winona Forever" tattoo had to be altered to "Wino
forever" after their breakup), currently plays guitar in a
band called "P", and owns The Viper Room nightclub in
L.A.
(c) 1998 Berge Garabedian
Movie Reviews by Berge Garabedian