DiCaprio isn't just another pretty face.

Rating: 10/10 (12 February 2000)

I enjoyed Leonardo DiCaprio in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, and then lost faith in him after Titanic. I was sick of the whole teen heartthrob/posse-towing bad boy image. But The Beach put Leonardo back in my good books. If you enjoyed Trainspotting, chances are you'll like The Beach, from the same power team that gave us the Scottish heroin romp. This time it's an isolated island paradise instead of Scotland, pot instead of heroin, and Leonardo DiCaprio instead of Ewan MacGregor. The Beach is a visually stunning movie with a soundtrack that blended seamlessly with the beautiful visuals. The acting was incredible, with not one single disappointing performance. The movie was both funny (the video game sequence) and scary (the shark attack), just as much of a nightmare as it was a beautiful dream. With any luck we will start seeing Leonardo DiCaprio in more roles that portray him as more than just your average pretty boy, because it's once again obvious that he's a fantastic actor.