A highly underrated movie

Rating: 4/10 (23 March 2008)

I am really shocked at the negative reviews this film has gotten over the years. I believe this movie initially got a bad rap primarily because it was the next big budget DiCaprio flick following "Titanic" People like me who had seen earlier DiCaprio films like "The Basketball Diaries" were pleased to see him return to a similar style role while the mass public (mostly women) were merely looking for a Titanic sequel.
The Beach is a coming of age classic about one man's journey through Thailand. His pursuit of paradise leads him to an island where he discovers the perfect utopian society.
The story moves along at a quick pace and is interwoven with some great internal monologues. The cinematography is amazing. The music soundtrack alone is reason enough to watch this movie.
"The Beach" depicts the ultimate fantasy of finding a private island paradise while enjoying the hedonistic lifestyle. The movie eventually takes a darker turn as it shows the consequences of their behavior, which asks the question "is paradise real, or is it all in your mind?" Not an original sentiment but the movie remains quite entertaining throughout.