Methinks the people doth protest of Leo too much...

Rating: 10/10 (12 February 2000)

What's with all this Leo angst? He's been in a couple of good films (Basketball Diaries, Gilbert Grape) and is seems as soon as you mention his name to anyone, they immediately roll their eyes to the back of their heads like a reflex. So he was in Titanic...let's let of that and give the guy a chance.
Sure, I went into The Beach with my doubts. I read the book and I wasn't too sure how that was going to translate to the screen. While not perfect, it did turn out well, and managed to capture a lot of the novel, (as much as you can actually in a two-hour movie). The music and sound for the film were both excellent, and I highly recommend seeing it while still in dolby theatres. The locations, both tropical and urban, were beautifully shot, and again, held to the spirit of the book.
The characters were a little underdeveloped, but I think they got Richard (DiCaprico) a wanderlust traveller in search for something new, down pat. I love the fact that most of the actors were foreign, including French Actress Tilda Swinton.
Don't go (or not go) to this film just because Leo is in it. It's a movie based upon an excellent book and, in my opinion, beats out most of the brain-dead flicks of late.