Review: A good piece of escapism - a paradise with flaws. 8/10

Rating: Null/10 (20 February 2000)

The first thing I have to say is that I haven't read Alex Garland's cult novel of the same name. The second thing to say is that, on the film's merit alone, this is an entertaining movie. Much was expected of this movie, based upon the popularity of the novel, the talent of director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Shallow Grave) and the adverse publicity attracted about the supposed destruction of Thailand's natural habitat. The movie starts off as a travel story - the wide-eyed and idealistic backpacker Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio) discovering the wild and untamed Thailand. Practically as soon as he arrives, he is confronted by the drugged-out Daffy (Robert Carlyle) - who we soon learn was one of the founder members of the Beach. He gives Richard a map to this isolated paradise island, which he duly follows - apparently unperturbed by Daffy's violent suicide. Richard manages to rope in a lusted-after, pretty French girl (Virginie Ledoyen) and her boyfriend (Guillaume Canet) to accompany him on his adventure. But after making the obligatory treacherous journey, they find that the paradise they arrive to is very different to what they imagined. From the start, there is a hint of imperfection. Soon this escalates, as they notice that the island's leader, Sal (Tilda Swinton), has a rather dictatorial rule over them. However, the plot isn't much to write home about, and from what I've heard, not a patch on the book either. For instance, the chapter when Richard descends into madness is poorly scripted and gives the impression that Boyle is trying to be too surreal for his own good. DiCaprio's narrative is also uninspired and therefore rather ineffective. However, this is not what I gave the film 8/10 for. As a 'rehash' of a very cliched story - a false perfection - The Beach tells it quite well. The setting and scenery is beautiful, including one of the best long zoom-out shot I have ever seen. I was disappointed to see that the film did not receive an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography. Leonardo DiCaprio also acts very well in this movie, proving that he is not just there to satisfy the hormonal rages of adolescent girls. In my opinion, DiCaprio is probably one of the most talented actors of his generation around today. He is also well supported by the French duo, previously practically unheard of in the UK. This film is also very funny - although some jokes tend to be too obviously for comic relief - if not witty. The Beach gives good entertainment value for money, despite being a bit too slow paced, and the image of the paradise shown will linger on in your minds. Boyle's direction, as for so many of his films, is style over substance - and this time, it just about succeeds.