There are few cinematic experiences more frustrating than to see a compelling life boiled down into simplified platitudes. I keep remembering The U.S. vs. John Lennon from a few years ago, which painted Lennon in the broadest and most flattering of strokes, whitewashing his life into that of a prophet of peace who spoke truth to power, and overlooking his less saintly aspects. Thankfully, Gonzo doesn’t appear to fall into the same trap. Hunter S. Thompson was a brilliant writer to be sure, but he was also a prickly, unpredictable pain in the ass, and much of what made him so fascinating a person was that the two couldn’t be separated. There’s a reason why Gonzo has attracted so much talent, not only in front of the camera but behind as well. With Taxi to the Dark Side director Alex Gibney at the helm, chances are good that this film will embrace the contradictory and often maddening aspects of Thompson’s life, and to show that more than simply his writing justifies the film, but his personality as well.