A weak movie, but decent enough to hold up

Rating: 4/10 (7 January 2004)

***This summary may contain ~SPOILERS~, depending on how strict you are on the term. I hope this warning keeps in with the IMDb guidelines. I don't want to ruin the story for anyone. That said, you have been warned***
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There are a lot of good things to say about The Beach. As a novel, the book is apparently very well thought out and interesting. Unfortunately, despite a strong beginning and some standout acting, the big-screen adaption of The Beach fails to deliver a believable or strong story, yet holds up as an average, enjoyable movie.
I can't comment on the book, though I like what I have heard. Going by the screenplay, however, we follow Leonardo DiCaprio's character (very convincingly played) through his journey from Bangkok to a new home on and island resort. The premise is fairly simple, but is given some depth due to many subplots and character relationships. Many of the characters are likable, and Robbie Carlyle's appearance is fantastic and well directed. The film definitely has it's merits, and it's ability to build up tension throughout is a very commendable feat of it's director - there is definitely some haunting imagery through here.
However, I find I couldn't enjoy The Beach as much as I had hoped to. It is hard to tell just what sort of film The Beach actually is. At times, the story dips into farce with scenes that come across as unintentionally amusing - many things are hit and miss. For example, a CG sequence with a pixilated DiCaprio is very overdone, and kills a lot of the tension in the sequence. Moments like these not only feel out of place, but they ruin the general atmosphere of the movie and make it feel uncertain of what it wants to be. At times, I had the impression of it being a parody of itself, and yet, in others, there are moments of genuine tension and horror, with fantastic imagery and symbolism.
Most of the movie lives and dies by it's characters. Throughout most of the second act, many characters are developed, and it is this development that keeps the movie strong, as the movie changes slowly in it's tone from a light-hearted, easy going film to a dark thriller. The film definitely has character - something lacking from many films today - and it is this atmosphere and character that drives the movie forward.
The Beach isn't a horrible film, but I wouldn't say it was a favourite of mine. Apparently many characters were cut from this adaption, and as such that may account for some of the movie's poor plot progression. I am interested enough to read the novel due to watching the movie, but as a movie itself The Beach is weakly scripted and at times mis-directed. The dialogue is a tad overdone - DiCaprio's philosophy is intriguing, but doesn't seem to match up to the character we see on screen.
Despite all of it's flaws, The Beach does hold up and manages to drive it's journey to a definite conclusion - and does manage to stay entertaining. Personally, I think the movie could have been edited better. In my opinion, a few script redacts would have added to our ability to believe the story - the opening, while very impressive, is rather weak, and it's hard to believe any characters could act so impulsively. The script does feel unfocussed.
Despite a fairly sketchy script and these occasional missteps, The Beach manages to tell an intriguing story of a man who seeks for more from life, and because of this the viewer manages to stay interested. There are a few commendable moments, and performances are generally well-given all round. The production values are high and it shows - the set pieces are elaborate and beautiful. I feel many characters are underused - especially the supposed villains of the piece. But, all of these flaws can be easily overlooked if you simply sit back and enjoy what is there instead of what isn't. Despite wasted potential, I think The Beach is a decent, if not great, movie. It's not a life-changing experience, but watchable, definitely.