Highly Overrated But Still Good

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Spoilers======below==== Breakfast with Hunter takes us into the mind of the older HST, the more tamer if you can call it that, the less crazy and the more mature. Well sort of... There are no scenes in which he drops acid and paints his face white with makeup as there was in the first BBC documentary for instance. And there were no scenes of him chasing porn stars around his house. But the vitality, intelligence and spirit of the man is still in full force in this flick. We needed this movie. The man is interesting so in fact actors often stayed in character long after portraying him in film. This film is great, it shows HST in his surroundings with no preconceived notions or antics. He just is and you can get a feel for his natural self, something all good documentaries must strive for.I agree with other reviewers that it is nice to hear others read his writing, but Jon Cusack was annoying. He seemed to have the rhythm all wrong and jumbled, playing it for dramatic effect perhaps after all he is an actor, but alas I digress, good insight into the pre-production stages of Fear and Loathing and the scene with Alex Cox was in good taste. Meaning that HST listened to every word these nincompoops muttered and considered them. "Maybe you can convince me," he said at one point. I thought he showed much resolve until the b-puckey was so sky high he had to bring out the bulldozer. Even Benecio says "Tell him to stay the F888 away from me," in reference to Alex Cox. They obviously had no idea about any of his writing and probably didn't even read the whole book....but anyways....so many snippets of good fun and intelligent conversation that the mind is scrambling to recall them all...Fiddlesticks I'll have to watch it again...The thing that hit hard after i saw this was I was even more saddened he died. Devastated, but I am sure he had some health concerns and was in some pain as others eluded to. Just wish the guy was still around. He could take you to a mountain top by way of the sewer and it was great great ride...You will be missed Doc....RIP

I am posting the following as a challenge to the "most useful" comment, which states that this film should be reserved for Doc's "die-hard fans".Firstly, I find the idea of excluding this rare bit of succulent meat in a world of dry bones and paper napkins is blasphemy in the truest sense against all Hunter S. Thompson stood for. True, a die-hard fan will rejoice in letting the juices run down their chin, but truer, damned be the man who proclaims to be holier than thou! If this film seems scattered, frantic, and mindlessly compiled, let it be because the man who it rejoices wanted it so. It is a perfect embodiment of what we can only imagine his hectic mind must have been like inside. Bits and Pieces of a so far gone world and life and place he could not find, and understood those with half a brain could not ourselves.I don't believe that Thompson had any illusions of grandeur and perhaps thought a fool any man who had them in his favor. He knew what he meant to the people he meant it to, and wanted nothing more than to be respected and understood to be the great writer he was by any outsider. This man is a damn good writer. period. Do not be shamed away if you are unexposed. It's here for everyone.This film embraces the character the man was. It allows others to embrace it, and maybe open the door to their awareness of a renegade, gonzo journalist. It takes you from his home life, to ridiculous nightlife, enraged attacks by the Doc on misunderstanding and oblivious Hollywood types, and hilarious pranks on those he knows the best. The door opened here, is smoky, loud, brass and uncouth. It leads to a world we don't like to look at but exists. It's your world, seen through the eyes of an old burned out man, who saw and did and lived things you can only imagine. Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride. You'll be glad you did.

I'm a total junky for the guys writing, but I also really enjoy watching his antics and if possible see a bit of his real personality. There aren't too many legends around these days, and most have gone completely soft. Hunter to me is not as much of a put-on as some seem to suspect. He is obvious very intelligent and he takes writing seriously, exactly as it should be. People make a terrible mistake in assuming that he is some sort of comedy act, or even a outright liar. In all of his writing he dares people to have some imagination, and to not look at the world through a normal set of sense organs. His version of the truth works better for me than CNN ever will, and I have great pity for anyone who believes otherwise.He has written of a distrust of movie-people, in particular the Hollywood bunch so it is pleasant to get a good couple of hours of him on film. I tend to agree that Hunter deserves a well executed movie, but there are some pretty obvious reasons why that may not be practical. No one wants a camera in their face all the time, HST least of all. It isn't accidental that an Aspen resident ended up compiling/recording this movie, because I get the impression that the only thing which would make him comfortable enough with the idea is chillin' with the locals.The 1980 BBC documentary was alright. It covered a slightly different era, and some of their research was a little weak. Until breakfast came out however, it was certainly about as candid as I was able to find in one place.It really was a collage of footage with very little keeping it focused. It didn't appear to be as a result of a deliberate editing technique but more just having to work within the available footage and whatever Hunter was going to allow to be used. There is little bad to say about it from a freaks point of view.I have enormous respect for him.I'm still waiting for some more books, do you hear that Hunter!? Forget ESPN.com, write another novel. I hear Afganhi hash is pretty cheap these days.

The documentary is a thinly veiled attempt to "break into" the life of the famed Gonzo fiend and shed light on his inner madness. Many funny scenes throughout the film, especially when Hunter is berating glib English director Alex Cox. The film itself comes across slightly amateur-esque in its editing and presentation, but is certainly a must-see for Hunter fans.