FOUR DAYS, THREE NIGHTS, TWO CONVERTIBLES, ONE CITY.
Sports writer Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) goes to Vegas with his “lawyer” (Benicio Del Toro) to cover a motorcycle race; they’ve packed the car full of drugs, so they’re ready for a walk on the wild side. Terry Gilliam’s film was based on one of Hunter S. Thompson’s novels where drug hallucinations play a huge part. That’s one reason why the movie largely becomes an incoherent snoozefest where the characters just ramble on in Vegas. Fans of the director ate it up, but not even Depp’s amusing narration makes the movie worth your time.
1998-U.S. 119 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Terry Gilliam. Screenplay: Terry Gilliam, Tony Grisoni, Tod Davies, Alex Cox. Novel: Hunter S. Thompson. Cast: Johnny Depp (Raoul Duke), Benicio Del Toro (Dr. Gonzo), Tobey Maguire (Hitchhiker), Craig Bierko, Katherine Helmond, Mark Harmon… Cameron Diaz, Lyle Lovett, Gary Busey, Christina Ricci, Harry Dean Stanton, Ellen Barkin.Â
Trivia: John Cusack was allegedly considered for the part of Raoul. Where the Buffalo Roam (1980) is a similar film about the experiences of Hunter S. Thompson. Depp returned to Thompson territory in The Rum Diary (2011).