tywebb

The entire movie seems to have been filmed with a hand-held camcorder. Why would someone choose to do this, with such a talented array of actors? It does not make it seem more intimate or in-the-moment...on the contrary, it makes me back away from the whole thing because it seems so unprofessionally done. Using handhelds tastefully in certain scenes can be very effective, but used throughout the whole film it is a waste of acting talent.

The second problem is the lack of editing. Some scenes go on and on way longer than they should. The whole point of editing and pacing when creating the finished product seems to have been missed here. Maybe not everything they teach in film school needs to be revisited.

Thirdly, the writing itself isn't very tight. This is a story that could have been powerful and compelling, but instead left me not caring very much about the main characters. It felt like a very personal film, with the material having been unfortunately not crafted and polished enough. It ends up seeming self-indulgent rather than touching and powerful.

A good example of a well-done film with similar content is About Schmidt.

Oh man. There really is not much about surfing in this movie. It is mainly about a large dysfunctional family headed by a narcissistic tyrant nutjob. It's painful to watch.

Considering this, I still tried to keep an open mind about the quality of the film-making itself. Whatever the true subject matter, is this a good documentary, is it well-crafted, does it flow, is it a piece of art in itself? Sadly no. Too many fast edits, too much sub-par music filling almost every minute of the move. Too much stock/filler footage. It doesn't really flow, it doesn't feel authentic, it feels schizophrenic. The moments captured on film are not allowed to "breathe" and carry the movie. They rather just seem carelessly slapped together, not skillfully woven together into a coherent whole.

Too many cooks in the kitchen? Looking at the credits I count at least 11 (!!) producers, co-producers, associate producers and executive producers...

This film is at turns brilliant, excruciatingly funny, grotesquely disturbing, and in one spot even touching and beautiful. What gets me again and again is, how on earth is Gilliam able to take Hunter Thompson's book, and make it into this vivid, experiential piece that hits you like a freight train. Some kind of creative force of nature, this man is. If it seems to get dragging and messy in some spots...well...creation is messy. I love this piece as a whole, including the imperfections.

Fear and Loathing is about a lot of things, much more than just two men on a demented, depraved, prolonged drug binge. And it is more than just an adaptation of Hunter Thompson's famous novel. It has a life of its own, makes political, social, personal statements, and the way Gilliam's wit and imagination synergizes with that of Thompson's makes this a compelling and unique experience. I would give it two or three viewings initially, to let it sink in. The Perl of the whole thing is when the narrator reminisces about the mid-60s...a glimpse of peace and beauty amidst the chaos that surrounds it...the centre of the vortex.