possibly the only movie that leo will ever perform in...!

Rating: 7/10 (4 April 2004)

a great film! i must say that i did prefer the book (by alex garland)! but the film was exciting, dramatic, thrilling, humourous, adventurous and romantic all roled into one!!!
Ok, so im not saying it was the best movie ever, but it was thoroughly entertaining! leo outperformed himself, and was supported by a cast of stars who (although not always perfect) were great at the roles they had been chosen for!
a great piece of casting!!!
SYNOPSIS (SPOILER ALERT!)
ok, so we begin with this kid, richard, he's off adventuring in bangkok, in particular the gulf of Thailand!
he meets daffy, a crazed loonatic talking about a bitch (beach), in a hotel room one night.
Daffy slits his wrists, leaving the unsuspecting richard with nothing but a map. THE map! to a secret island said to be pure perfection, where a group of simple people live their blissful lives in peace!
Richard meets and falls in love with the beautiful Francoise! oh, and there's her boyfriend Etienne! Both have heard of the beach:the island of perfection, and accompany richard on his journey to find it!
Prior to his exit from bangkok, richard makes a copy of said map which he gives to some kids called zeph and sammy!
Rich, Etienne, and Francoise, make their journey by boat and by man power across the "shark infested" waters of the gulf of Thailand! on arriving at the island, all is apparently blissful, the three are accepted into the group with virtually no questions, but no paradise lasts for ever! Deaths of two Swedish men, Richard's unknowing copying of the map, the moral corruption of group leader Sal and Richard's stormy relationship with her and Francoise lead to his mental downfall. He becomes like daffy, crazed and a loner who finds enjoyment in the suffering of others!

eventually he snaps out of it and after a climatic scene with guns, betrayals and an eventual escape from hell!, richard returns home and retains only his good memories of paradise lost!