Bad choice for Leo

Rating: 3/10 (1 March 2000)

Leonardo DiCaprio's brilliant work in Titanic (though not his best) and the unexpected explosion of popularity that ensued, opened wide the floodgates of his career. He now earns a Tom Cruise-sized paycheck for any old project he chooses to attach himself to. We all hoped he would choose his projects wisely (from what I have heard about American Psycho, he was wise to turn it down).
If hindsight were 20/20, one could argue for his passing on The Beach as well, the film adaptation of wonder boy Alex Garland's novel, which I have not read. The source material notwithstanding, this is a grim tale that goes everywhere you don't expect. Usually this would be a good thing, but this project meanders endlessly as we take a trip through the slowly fragmenting mind of Richard (Leo), an adventurous twentysomething just looking for a little excitement in his life.
Richard's journey begins in Thailand, where he stays in the world's worst motel and ends up living next to Daffy Duck (Robert Carlyle), a dope-smoking psychotic raving about a hidden beach on an island paradise. Because Richard doesn't really know what he wants to do with his life and he's real bored, he buys the story, takes Daffy's map, and sets out to find the island. He even finds two more suckers willing to be stupid with him, the lovely Francoise (Virginie Ledoyen) and Etienne (Guillaume Canet), French lovers traveling together (but of course, it's Leo and poor Etienne never stands a chance).
When they finally find the island, the film becomes a bit humorous (intentionally, I think) as we meet its inhabitants, basically a bohemian mini-culture living in complete seclusion from the world, calling themselves Parallel Universe. The group's founder, chairperson, and den mother, Sal (Tilda Swinton), is obsessively protective of their culture. The fun ends like it always does, and the film gets increasingly trippy, ugly, and violent: In a word, `disturbing.'
In the end we're supposed to realize that paradise is something to be earned, not claimed: You can run from the world, but eventually it will find you. One humorous scene features the members of the group, one by one, giving Richard their long lists of items needed from civilization. He and Sal (who naturally can't resist Leo's charms either) are to make a trip back into Thailand (for extra rice or something). It occurs to you, even as you're watching this scene, that the crew and passengers of the U.S.S. Minnow were so much cooler and more resourceful than these losers!

Beach, of course, was made by the writing/directing team who brought us the far superior Trainspotting, John Hodge and Danny Boyle. Their creative stamp is most definitely visible here and they do create some memorable visual imagery. This is due in large part to the masterful photography by the distinguished, versatile Darius Khondji, the man responsible for Se7en, Delicatessen, City of Lost Children, and Evita. I can't recommend The Beach, but I'd still run out and see the next Boyle/Hodge collaboration. Come to think of it, I've seen every one of them since 1994's Shallow Grave.
Grade: D+