On F List of Movie Reviews

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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

Rate: 3
Viewed: 1/04, 7/05, 6/08

FearL
7/05: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is true to Hunter Thompson's book and, more importantly, his gonzo style.

Enjoying the reputation of being an eclectic actor and having a predilection for the weird, Johnny Depp is at home. Benicio del Toro's rendition of the lawyer is dead-on and perfect. I believe the story is meant to be anti-drug.

All in all, I'm impressed with Terry Gilliam by getting everything right in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

6/08: I've read the famed book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas three times, but I have a sour perspective of it now.

The misogynistic treatment is what's hard for me to look past. The amount of drugs consumed by the two characters is plain absurd. Obviously, the novella gets plenty of praise for the exciting Gonzo journalistic writing, which is coupled with Ralph Steadman's artwork, because the style is unique. If there's any reason to watch the film, it's the outstanding performance by Benicio del Toro which is probably in the top two of his career with the other being Traffic. Johnny Depp isn't bad.

All in all, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas contains too much misogyny to make for an enjoyable picture.