The Dream Vacation

Rating: 10/10 (12 August 2003)

When I first saw "The Beach" it was like I was watching my dream vacation. Danny Boyles' attention to detail brings out emotion in a way that makes his characters' experiences more personal to the viewer. This detail is most notable in his immaculate character devopement of "Richard" (Leonardo DiCaprio,) which is an art that seems to be lost in film today. It also is apparent in Richards' affair with Virginie Ledoyens' character "Francoise. The way their relationship unfolds was so real yet so romantically "Hollywood" at the same time, like a dream. I must say, the casting of Virginie Ledoyen made the movie much more exotic and mysterious as she is such a beautiful and talented female actress that has been virtually untouched my American cinema. After seeing "The Beach MULTIPLE times it made me realize that the best trips are the ones where no matter how much went wrong, all you think about when remembering them is how much went so right. This is a great movie to escape with... it also helps that Virginie Ledoyen is a goddess! ...please excuse the typos...