FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS RATINGS: 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
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