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Reviews Counted:88
Fresh:76
Rotten:12
Average Rating:7/10
Consensus: While not the comprehensive profile of the man that his die-hard fans might have hoped for, Gonzo remains an insightful introduction to the life of rebellious writer Hunter S. Thompson and his influences.
Theatrical Release:Jul 2, 2008 Limited
Box Office: $1,031,095
Synopsis: Few journalists have attained the notoriety of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. His legendary status is due as much to his scintillating writing as his outrageous antics. He became a living legend whose... [More]
Starring: Gary Hart, George McGovern, Jann Wenner, Jimmy Buffett
Director: Alex Gibney
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Alex Gibney's documentary about bad boy journalist Dr. Hunter S. Thompson is both a memorial exaltation and a lament. Gibney's masterful style balances verite and dramatic effect. He doesn't doesn't tell you what to think, but spurs you to think.
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A colorful documentary about the famed journalist and author, Hunter S. Thompson, spiced up with movie clips of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and other works based on Thompson's writings.
A definitive, accessible, even inspiring screen biography put together with thought and vitality.
The film’s plea that we need Thompson now more than ever is a little misty-eyed: Thompson’s day was long gone by the time he put a gun to his head.
Much like the man himself, it's quite a piece of work.
Gonzo is much more than a tribute to a maverick and genuine pioneer. It’s a lament for the gaping hole that Thompson left behind. The only obvious weakness is Gibney’s reluctance to engage fully with Thompson’s toxic personal life.
This documentary about his life by Alex Gibney, though entertaining in many ways, is oddly uninterested in his strengths or otherwise as a writer, the very gift for which Thompson earnestly wished to be known.
Director Alex Gibney has plundered 200 hours of audiotapes, hundreds of photos and personal testimony from an impressive roster of Thompson’s colleagues and family to put together an even-handed portrait.
A straight-line journey through the good doctor’s loopy myth and madness, but one that doesn’t push far enough into uncharted territory. Fine as a primer, but Gibney leans more towards admiration than examination.
The film is content to laugh affectionately at Thompson's bad boy exploits, giggle at the impatience of a man who went hunting boar with a sub machine-gun.
Crackingly entertaining documentary.
Thompson must be looking down, or up, from his afterworld thinking: “The worst success is a failure to keep alive the spirit of offendedness and outrage.”
This soft-headed hagiography is a disappointment, and at least half an hour too long.
Gibney says the film took so much out of him that he limped into the Sundance Festival with a ruptured disc, a green liver and spots in his eyes that will not disappear. I hope he now thinks it worth the trouble. I’m pretty sure watchers will.
Superbly directed, hugely entertaining documentary that's a treat for both newcomers and aficionados of Thompson's work.
With a wealth of archive material, documentary filmmaker Gibney assembles a remarkably astute and comprehensive look at the life of one of the most notorious journalists in American history.
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a seminal work of talking head biography
Gonzo is an excellent reminder that Thompson was more than just a wild man. He was, at least for a time, a first-rate writer who covered his times and helped shape them.
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