A modern parable, well told

Rating: Null/10 (30 March 2000)

I had to force myself to go and see the film after reading all the bad reviews like "it wasn't as good as the book", "Boyle doesn't live up to his Trainspotting potential" etc. But I was pleasantly surprised.
This is actually a good film. it depicts what it is like out there, as anyone who has travelled through South-East Asia would have noticed. What did make me laugh was the way it depicted the thai resorts as new Sodom and gomorrahs. I did find this kind of snobbery out there and Di Caprio and his friends captured the so-called "real travellers" well. Searching for paradise and scorning anybody who goes the well trodden trail, but ending up their own arses and creating their own hell. Give me a beach party on Koh pang gan and a few months sharing the same life as Di Caprio and cohorts I'm not sure which I'd choose. The leader seemed a nightmare, Thatcher in a bikini, and she is the type of person I left England to escape from!!!
It was a very true depiction of what eventually happens in so called paradisical communities. Eventually the idiosynchrasies surface and groups self destruct due to personalities clashing. It doesn't matter if it's on a beach in Thailand or downtown London. paradise is not a place it's a state of mind!
One thing I think the film lacked is the way it only touched on the drug culture that goes on out there. I would have liked to have seen a few scenes on how much a part of the illusion is enhanced by the mushrooms. Which I can tell you are something else! I'm certain they influenced Alex garland who wrote the book. The film totally avoided the in-your-face sex-culture out there. But I suppose that's another film.
All in all, a beautifully filmed, well acted parable, that could have gone further, but was enough to satisfy. it certainly made me feel like dropping out and going on my travels again. Only this time I wouldn't waste my energy searching out Utopia. Basically, you have to accept that Thailand is commercialised, and will be more so after this film, just enjoy the beauty that is there and try not to be so cynical about the blatant exploitation of the tourist industry. Maybe Alex garland should have gone to Papua New Guinea!