A thought-provoking film

Rating: 7/10 (2 April 2006)

Anyone who has backpacked to various parts of the world and trawled through youth hostels will appreciate some of the accurate observations in this film. It is basically about a backpacker who thinks he has found something different, but quickly discovers how insular and distorted the community he finds himself in is. I think this film makes a great point about how destructive inward-looking groups can be. Leonardo di Caprio's acting is a bit forced and over the top at times, and some things happen in the film which beggar belief, but overall it's a thoughtful account of the need for 'something more' in the lives of lots of young people, and how that 'something more' may not be travel, but a sense of community.