One film that has been curiously absent from the festival circuit in 2011 thus far is Bruce Robinson‘s long-awaited “The Rum Diary.” It won’t be in Venice, Toronto or New York and while Telluride or London are possibilities with the release date coming up in October, it seems FilmDistrict have been more busy building the buzz around “Drive.” Well, the first trailer has arrived and it seems indicate why this movie has been flying somewhat under the radar.
Based on the novel by Hunter S. Thompson, the film has Johnny Depp playing Paul Kemp (reprising his role to a degree as the Thompson stand-in from “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”), a freelance journalist who finds himself drawn to the Caribbean at a critical turning point in his life. While there he meets the saucy Chenault (Amber Heard) who hangs on the arm of Sanderson (Aaron Eckhart) while he battles his editor (Richard Jenkins). We presumed self-reflection and destruction ensue, but instead, the trailer suggests the film plays much more tame. Despite Robinson claiming the film made him turn to drinking again, the boys from “The Hangover” could probably handle this gonzo trip with ease. And while there are some hints at more surreal happenings, the film certainly doesn’t replicate the outrageous spirit Terry Gilliam captured so well in ‘Loathing.’ So yeah, we have to say it’s a bit disappointing.
Anyway, we’ll see how this all plays out when the film opens on October 28th. Check out the trailer below. [via Movieline]