Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas

Year: 1998

Grade: B+

Country: USA

Director: Gilliam

Review

well filmed story about the infamous hunter thompson, who is revered by drug addicts across the country. for me it’s a funny and sad tale. funny because excessive drug use and an eclectic cast of characters combine for outrageous situations. sad because, as he says in the end, being drugged up all the time may not offer the spiritual enlightenment that some claim. i think it’s easy to like thompson and view his lifestyle as sort of glamorous, but i don’t think that he, or terry gilliam, would necessarily want you to follow in his footsteps. to me, the film is a lot like scarface in that it’s easy to admire his individuality and the way he rose up from nothing, but there is a reality there that we must ultimately reckon with. like i said before, the film is shot really well. gilliam was the perfect choice for the film (though oliver stone would have been a good choice as well). he recreates the mood well using colored filters, set design, unusual lenses, and plenty of camera movement. the film is made even better by its two star performances from del toro and depp. it’s the kind of movie that i can watch by myself, but if i watch it with anyone who has done drugs before then i probably wouldn’t enjoy it very much.