Set against the colourful backdrop of 1960s San Juan, Puerto Rico, The Rum Diary, directed by Bruce Robinson, is a window into the constituentexperiences that shaped the world-view of great American writer Hunter S Thompson – celebrated journalist and certified loon.

Based on a novel by Thompson, discovered by Johnny Depp when he was living with Thompson and studying for his role in Fear and Loathing in LA, the film chronicles the early journalistic career of one Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp), a down-on-his-luck novelist looking for freelance work, which appears in the form of a run-down newspaper with a crackpot Editor. Initially assigned to horoscopes, Kemp finds himself drawn into a shady world of real estate development and PR through a chance meeting with Hal Sanderson (played by Aaron Eckhart) and his luscious lady companion Chenault (Amber Heard), with whom Kemp becomes completely obsessed. Armed with his typewriter, a nonchalant sidekick in Bob Sala (Michael Rispoli) and copious amounts of alcohol (usually rum), he sets out on a journey that starts by chasing the dollar, and ends chasing justice.

A fascinating insight into the situation that shaped the outspoken public voice that was to come (which found a long and sustained career in the pages of PLAYBOY), this film takes you through the underground cock fighting (yes, the birds), intoxicant swilling, high living days when the world was a playground and capitalism was just finding its groove. Depp’s portrayal of Kemp belies his deep affection for, and long friendship with, Thompson, who he initially had to convince to put this manuscript up for publication. That it’s gone full circle, with Depp playing his deceased friend only seems fitting. Definitely worth a watch.