(6/10) Pretty pictures - but little substance in this adaptation

Rating: 6/10 (21 February 2000)

The Beach, Danny Boyle's new film, is a philosophical exploration of the concept of Paradise. A postmodernist slice of life is served up with splendid cinematography, stunning locations and a cast that tries very hard. But the adaptation of Alex Garland's novel is underdeveloped, not allowing much scope - or script - with which the actors can work.
The basic plot follows Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his quest for finding something different. When a raving lunatic (Robert Carlyle) provides a map to a paradisiacal island, Richard sets off to find the place, with two French tourists (Virginie Ledoyen and Guillaume Canet) in tow. They find the beach, which indeed seems to be a heaven on earth, and are inducted into the multi-national community under the instruction of its matriarch, Sal (Tilda Swinton). The question is: how long can this paradise last before it is lost?
DiCaprio does as much as he can with the rather shallow character of Richard - this actor is developing his skills quite admirably, although none of the anti-DiCaprians would care to admit this. He layers his performance with a nice dash of cynicism - just enough to balance the idealistic world which is presented to the audience. Swinton is impressive as Sal, in a very Apocalypse Now-type character and neatly captures the conflicting values of what it takes to preserve their paradise. Ledoyen has little to do but look alluring and Canet, as her husband, is wasted in what could have been developed into a solid subplot. Carlyle is perfect in his cameo as the man who provides the means for finding the island.
Boyle has set a credible standard with Trainspotting and Shallow Grave, but does not provide a similar film "experience" with The Beach. Much of the fault lies with John Hodge's superficial screenplay, which skims over Garland's book and tries to soften the blows which are dealt in that text. Although there are very good sequences within the film, the piece jars as a whole and really drags through the middle of the story.
This could have been a great movie, falling short as a result of the lack in balance between story and pictures. The pictures are nice, but a substantial story is what should be provided as a solid basis for any film - we are after all adult audiences watching a film about grown up issues.