"We can't stop here. This is bat country!" (Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas (DVD))

Member Name: SmilingBuddha

Product:	Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas (DVD)
Date:	18/10/09 (23 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Infallible acting, Intense sequence of events

Disadvantages: Very strong drug references might not be for some, Loose plot

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas directed by Terry Gilliam and based on the novel by Hunter S. Thompson. We follow the misadventures of the perpetually intoxicated Raul Duke (Johnny Depp) and his equally-intoxicated attorney Dr. Gonzo (Benicio del Toro) during their stay in (you guessed it) Las Vegas.

While watching this I felt torn in two parts, one liked it, one didn't. The first felt deeply uncomfortable with the drug abuse masquerading as some sort of everyday pick-me-up when in reality they can totally f*ck up your life, and I speak as someone who has been unfortunate enough to witness that first hand. In one scene after a man in a suit walks in on him drugged up in a nightclub bathroom and he remarks that he's "getting incredible kicks from things he'll never know" in which is basically like one big "go on, try it, or you'll end up like this boring miserable tosspot over there".

Don't get me wrong, I don't get upset when I see someone shooting up heroin or taking LSD in films. Like violence or racism, it's not so much the act, just the way it's portrayed.

The other part of me, loved how anarchic and surreal it was. What it really reminded me of was the 80s TV series The Young Ones - which incidentally is absolutely brilliant in case you didn't know. Watching their hectic stream of their drug-fueled wanderings is actually rather entertaining.

Depp's acting is uncanny. Absolutely top class. Benicio as well. I truly
can't fault them in that respect. They are both totally immersed in their characters and full credit to them.

I've heard complaints that the two characters are too dislikable and that, in turn, makes the movie unwatchable - which is fair enough, I thought. One thing's for sure they certainly aren't likable, even if perhaps Thompson had intended them to be. I took up a very neutral position towards the pair myself, it reminded me of being back in high school when watching the class "rebel" argue with the teacher. You don't like the guy, you don't dislike the guy but you find his antics absolutely enthralling.

Thompson himself said that without Depp's narration keeping the story in
tow then the film would be nothing more than "just been a series of wild scenes."and he's right. The "plot" if you can all it that, runs more like a series
of very short stories loosely tied together by the narration. I'm glad it's
like that though, that way it feels less contrived and instead more like a genuine journey that someone had been on.

Summary: Worth watching but might not be for some.