Rating: 
Summary: Hand Dipped Glazed Liver Dumpling
Review: I agree that this movie was very well made and emotionally packed, but I felt there was a point that many people missed. The well expressed and obvious themes were definetly about self-asessment and morals, but I think something that the movie makers and definetly the actors wanted people to think about was the media's relentless pursuit of a story and their blunt exploitation. There might have been a slightly exaggerated instance in this movie for cinematic effect, which was expressed well, but there are many all too real examples in real life that I think maybe if the media were non-existant the repetitiveness of actions or conclutions of events might have been dramatically altered. A few examples come easily to mind; paparazzi, school shootings, trial coverages, every "top story" on the news. It all has something, if not everything to do with the media. There was a well written case in this movie. I felt some of the actors pushed a little too hard to deliver their lines, and the attraction of Vince Vaughn and Anne Heche's characters was unimaginable, but it's all a matter of circumstance and I certainly couldn't have done better myself. Joaquin Phoenix delivered the stand out performance, convincingly portraying an isolated, insane captive. I loved the gritty, disgusted feeling I was left with in the end which is something you can't always expect from the hollywood backwash plaguing theaters. Life doesn't always turn out good, and sometimes a movie with that sort of expression is a nice change of pace. I recommend this movie if you are looking for something to center on and that is very thought provoking.
Rating:
Summary: AN INVENTIVE AND PROFOUND MODERN DAY MORALITY TALE...
Review: This is a wonderfully creative movie, with top-notch directing and award caliber performances by a talented cast. The premise is a fairly simple one. Three young men, Sheriff (Vincent Vaughn), Tony (David Conrad), and Louis (Joaquin Phoenix), who previously didn't know one another, team up in Malaysia and party hearty. They have fun drinking, smoking hashish, and picking up girls. Sheriff and Tony head back to the states, leaving Louis behind, as he has a wildlife conservation idea involving orangutans that he wishes to pursue while in Malaysia. Before they go, Sheriff makes it a point to leave his dope stash in the house in which Louis is remaining. Later, the police come to search the premises on a matter unrelated to the dope stash. When they find it, however, they arrest Louis, who literally has been left holding the bag. Two years later, Anne Heche enters the picture as a lawyer, ostensibly working on behalf of her client, Louis. She seeks out Sheriff and Tony with a proposition. It seems that while Sheriff and Tony have been getting on with their lives, Louis has been rotting in a Malaysian prison for the past two years and living in sheer terror. You see, Louis is scheduled to be executed in eight days as a drug dealer, as the amount of dope that had been left behind and discovered by the police was just over a threshold amount that would classify it as being for distribution, rather than for personal use. The only hope Louis has of staying alive is if Sheriff and Tony go back to Malaysia to take responsibility for their part in this and serve three years each. If only one returns, then the sole returnee faces six years. Will it be all for one and one for all? Will Louis live to personally thank his friends? Watch the movie and find out. Vince Vaughn as Sheriff gives a compelling performance. Playing the quintessential Everyman, he struggles with his moral obligation. It is strictly a moral one, as legally he can just sit by and do nothing. Tony, too, undergoes some soul searching. They finally both come to the same conclusion, or do they? The dilemma that they face is an excruciatingly personal one. The movie builds up to a level of suspense that is totally unexpected. There are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. Meanwhile, Joaquin Phoenix, one of the finest young actors of his generation, gives a performance that will haunt the viewer for days. Anne Heche also give a noteworthy performance, intense and relentless in her quest to save what life Louis has left. Jada Pinkett also gives a strong performance as a news reporter who is interested in the story. Her interjection into the movie brings into the forefront the issue of the responsibility of the press. When you see this movie, you will understand what this means. This film is excellent on all fronts. The only weakness was an unnecessary subplot, which involved a blossoming romance between Sheriff and the character played by Anne Heche. Were it not for this digression, I would have given the movie five stars. It is an otherwise profoundly moving film that deserves to be seen.
Rating: 
Summary: Vaughn and Pheonix make this one a masterpiece
Review: nailbiting drama about three men who go to Malaysia and then 2 go back, a year later Phenoix is sent into a prison and Vaughn and his buddie along with Heche go back...though there's a catach...in saving Pehonix's life from prison..one of Pheonix's friends must replace him. hard decisions meets good acting..Vaughn and Phenix are superb..Heche is right up there as well, but its Vaughn and Pehonix at the end where Vaughn watches his friend get hanged....its too much of a good movie for me..brilliant and nicely directed..the movier hits
Rating:
Summary: Makes you cry
Review: This movie still haunts me a month later, or rather, Joaquin Phoenix's performance does, especially Lewis's eerie monologue towards the end of the show. I thought he was a good actor before "Return...", but after watching i can safely say his acting is amazingly brilliant. The movie is deep, it makes you re-think your whole take on morality. I think it deserved more recognition it'd received (if any at all), and Joaquin should have gotten at least an oscar nomination for best supporting actor. The movie would be perfect, but the ridiculous love interest between Vince Vaughn's character (who was also totally believable) and Anne Heche's character soured the plot. even my mom agreed it was unbelievable. I almost cried towards the end but didn't, because i didn't want my mom to see me crying, but anyway, i won't watch this again because i feel so sorry for Lewis. Anyhow, this movie is definitely worth a watch.
Rating:
Summary: Reaches into you
Review: What a beautiful and painful movie...
We find three young friends in (I believe) Malaysia living the easy life. Soon though, they are parted and what ensues is one of the more original and touching stories of recent times. Joaquin Phoenix's character stays behind as the other two (including Vince Vaughn) return to America. But soon Vaughn learns that Phoenix has been imprisoned for drugs and sentenced to a horrific judgement. Vaughn must chose whether to help his friend by sharing the burden, which he's guilty of, or letting Phoenix suffer the dire consequence.
Joaquin Phoenix is one of those actors fortunate enough to have never suffered teen flicks and empty plots. Every movie he's done has been intriguing and innovative. As an actor he may be the best in his age range. Here, you will find such agonizing deepths of pain in his portrayal of "Lewis", a doomed man, that you may have to turn your head or cry. Every person I've shown the film to cries. Phoenix is almost too real to watch in his closing scenes. One could ponder if he used the pain over losing brother River Phoenix so tragically, to bring up the emotions for that moment. Any one scene with Joaquin Phoenix during the film is worth seeing the whole movie. It only helps then, that Vince Vaughn breaks his usual stride of good acting to dig deeper and give possibly his best performance to date. Anne Heche is also exquisite. The film's only downfall (only a slight one) is the romance between Vaughn and Heche. Though NOTHING could draw attention away from Phoenix's brilliance, the Vaugh/Heche romance doesn't have purpose and seems to slightly soften the impact of a film which could've (and I think should've) hit even harder without it.
The point here is that while the story is fascinating, Phoenix is blindingly heart-wrenching and brings this film to an entirely different level. No young living actor could've played the scene better, or even as good. And fortunatley, the story itself is great enough, that the film isn't just a showcase of Phoenix's genius, but an overall quality film and a must see for all.
Rating:
Summary: Thought-provoking
Review: I was right about my intuitions about this film. I thought it would be good, and it was great. It is one of those films that is very convincing in its ability to make you feel everything the characters are going through as they make burden-laden ethical decisions in their lives.
Vince Vaughn's character Sheriff is easy to hate at first as the cocky, selfish guy, but his transformation is both very believable and very moving. If you need to see a movie about courage and doing the right thing in spite of the terrible consequences, this is the one.
Unlike a majority of the other reviewers, I thought the love story between Heche and Vaughn was an asset to the film. What they have with each other at the end leaves you feeling that although the ending turns out tragic, you still feel good about how things stand.
Rating:
Summary: Touching and Provocative
Review: This film was overlooked when it was released in 1998, and then it was virtually forgotten. That was unfortunate because "Return to Paradise" is a powerful (and powerfully acted) film. On the other hand, its neglect at the box office really wasn't much of a surprise; this is a serious film that doesn't allow viewers to walk away lightly, and it is therefore not the typical Hollywood escapist fare that moviegoers throng to week after week. But if film, like all art, is about life then serious films about complicated subjects are needed and welcome from time to time, particularly if such films treat their subject matter with respect and thoughtfulness. Three friends vacation in Malaysia (with drugs, booze, and women), two return, and one stays behind, only to find himself imprisoned and sentenced to death for possessing drugs the three of them used. His death sentence will be overturned if the other two return and serve time in prison. A lawyer (played effectively by Anne Heche) contacts the two men and tries to convince them to return. A serious subject, indeed, but it's the way in which the film is acted, directed, and handled that make it so touching and provocative. The film's greatest achievement is the way in which it makes the moral dilemma faced by the characters so palpably real and so powerfully complicated. It doesn't tread lightly or simplify, nor does it overburden the film with tedious, needless moralizing or cliched rhetoric. It's moral tone is spot on; it is heavy, to be sure, but you appreciate it because you, as a viewer, feel the weight as much as the characters do. "Return to Paradise" is also stellar because it centers on cultural differences and moral responsibility without being morally relativistic (relativistic, by the way, is how most Hollywood movies would handle such a subject). The film exposes the complexities of circumstance without making the story confusing, just as it approaches the entire story in the most balanced and judicious way. This is not a far-fetched situation (Kenneth Turan of the LA Times thought otherwise, but I disagree); in fact, it's the type of moral dilemma many have faced in their lives (not the exact situation, but the consequences of mistakes, the dilemma of deciding what to do in the midst of a painfully serious situation). This is a film based not so much on plot as it is on ethical debate. The acting is superb. Joaquin Phoenix's jailed, wounded Lewis is an outstanding portrayal of a soul that has withered under the weight of its situation. Anne Heche's Beth Easton is both fortitudinous and fragile. But it's Vince Vaughn's "Sheriff" that steals the show, as we witness a man who gradually evolves from careless to morally responsible -- and it's entirely believable. Ultimately, as we find out towards the end of the film, "Return to Paradise" is deeply humane (even in its suggestive cynicism). Sheriff does something for Lewis that virtually makes up for his past mistakes, that gives meaning to Lewis's deeply pointless and helpless misery, and that proves just how morally courageous Sheriff has become (I can't describe it without explaining the film's ending, but it inolves Sheriff yelling to Lewis through a cell window). Overall, a well-made film. Just be sure you have much lighter, happier fare in your DVD collection for a healthy balance.
Rating:
Summary: The only film to reduce me to tears for four days after
Review: What a beautiful performance by Joaquin Pheonix. No other film has subjected me to such distress as this. The story of an innocent abroad, such is that you come away trusting no one. The tense court room scene, which will leave you actually gasping for breath and then the look in Joaquin's eyes when the verdict has arrived. Never in my life have I experienced such heart wrenching stuff, that I actually cried for many days after. His desperation, his pleading and Vince Vaughn's comforting words, were like no other film I have ever seen. Joaquin Pheonix has once again, shown himself to be a very very brilliant actor and I strongly recommend people to watch Inventing The Abbotts. This guy should be up there with the likes of many of the top actors. Her should get the status he deserves and let us see more of this wonderful and brilliant actor.
Rating:
Summary: AN INVENTIVE AND PROFOUND MODERN DAY MORALITY TALE...
Review: This is a wonderfully creative movie, with top notch directing and award calibre performances by a talented cast. The premise is a fairly simple one. Three young men, Sheriff (Vincent Vaughn), Tony (David Conrad), and Louis (Joaquin Phoenix), who previously didn't know one another, team up in Malaysia and party hearty. They have fun drinking, smoking hashish, and picking up girls. Sheriff and Tony head back to the states, leaving Louis behind, as he has a wildlife conservation idea involving orangutans that he wishes to pursue while in Malaysia. Before they go, Sheriff makes it a point to leave his dope stash in the house in which Louis is remaining. Later, the police come to search the premises on a matter unrelated to the dope stash. When they find it, however, they arrest Louis, who literally has been left holding the bag. Two years later, Anne Heche enters the picture as a lawyer, ostensibly working on behalf of her client, Louis. She seeks out Sheriff and Tony with a proposition. It seems that while Sheriff and Tony have been getting on with their lives, Louis has been rotting in a Malaysian prison for the past two years and living in sheer terror. You see, Louis is scheduled to be executed in eight days as a drug dealer, as the amount of dope that had been left behind and discovered by the police was just over a threshold amount that would classify it as being for distribution, rather than for personal use. The only hope Louis has of staying alive is if Sheriff and Tony go back to Malaysia to take responsibility for their part in this and serve three years each. If only one returns, then the sole returnee faces six years. Will it be all for one and one for all? Will Louis live to personally thank his friends? Watch the movie and find out. Vince Vaughn as Sheriff gives a compelling performance. Playing the quintessential Everyman, he struggles with his moral obligation. It is strictly a moral one, as legally he can just sit by and do nothing. Tony, too, undergoes some soul searching. They finally both come to the same conclusion, or do they? The dilemma that they face is an excrutiatingly personal one. The movie builds up to a level of suspense that is totally unexpected. There are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. Meanwhile, Joaquin Phoenix, one of the finest young actors of his generation, gives a performance that will haunt the viewer for days. Anne Heche also give a noteworthy performance, intense and relentless in her quest to save what life Louis has left. Jada Pinkett also gives a strong performance as a newsreporter who is interested in the story. Her interjection into the movie brings into the forefront the issue of the responsibility of the press. When you see this movie, you will understand what this means. This film is excellent on all fronts. The only weakness was an unnecessary subplot, which involved a blossoming romance between Sheriff and the character played by Anne Heche. Were it not for this digression, I would have given the movie five stars. It is an otherwise profoundly moving film that deserves to be seen.
Rating:
Summary: Paradise to watch
Review: I was flicking through chanels on the telivision and I saw Joaquin Phoenix, I had just seen Gladiator and was amazed by his performance in that so I started watching. Boy am I glad i did that. It starts out on an island where three friends are doing hashish then one of them (Phoenix) says that he will stay to help the orangutang. The other two leave, and two years later, assuming that Phoenix is still helping the orangutang, find out something that will test thier conscience, courage, and their friendship. Phoenix has been held in a foriegn prison for the past two years and will be hanged in eight days as a drug trafficker if the two friends dont go back both do three years in prison. This film brings up an interesting question about how good are your friedships and would you do this for your best friend. The Physicological aspect of this film hits you hard, deep in your heart and you brain. This is a must-see film with a twist ending, the last 45 minutes are more dramatic than any other film I have ever viewed. Go see this film.
|
