A shaggy dog movie - it sort of ambles along the beach, occasionally dunks in the water, and shakes itself off. It's always a pleasure to renew acquaintance with Johnny Depp even if he is starting to get a little old (yes even Dorian Depp) and there are some engaging rogues he encounters down Puerto Rico way: a shaggy bearded photographer slash cockfighter, the pyjama wearing religious correspondent whose intake of drugs and drink makes Depp's character look tame, Aaron Erkhardt's charismatic gangster, the toupee wearing angry editor. It was shot in Puerto Rico and looks fantastic - they spent too much money really to justify the story but it's all there: yachts, carnivals full of people, newspaper offices, street riots, cockfights, dingy bars, nightclubs. I think as a result this movie won't make a profit which is a shame because it's got an independent spirit, which cinema needs more of.
Amber Heard is a stunner and has the 50s look but isn't much of a character: she's really hot, likes fast cars and dancing, and bangs Erkhart in the sea and Depp in the shower. And that's it - it's kind of a shock to hear that she married Depp at the end because that makes her more of a real person, which she isn't on screen.
And another thing - the evil thing that the evil people want to do is built a resort on an empty island. I mean, that's capitalist but not really evil - not say like overthrowing the government like United Fruit used to do. And Depp kind of should go to gaol for a bit for setting fire to a policeman - that is kind of nasty.
Best scenes for me (apart from the production value): a tense moment where Depp and his mate are at a cafe and realise the locals might want to kill them; the production spectacle of the carnival; the LSD sequence.
No comments:
Post a Comment