Rating: 
Summary: A good movie to discover
Review: I've read Garland's novel and I must say that it's a difficult exercise to adapt this novel for the screen. But in general, I think that the adaptation Boyle and his team made was rather good. The movie reviewers have tried to kill this film, I don't know why... Maybe because they didn't really understand it.... Cause The Beach goes in many directions, it's a movie on which it's not easy to stick a label... It's not an adventure movie, nor an action movie... neither a love story, nor an "art et essai" film, it's maybe all those categories... and probably the reason why this movie "failed" with large audiences... The Beach is a sort of metaphor... It tells the story of a quest... a quest for humanity and above all a discovery of how human beeings can become when they want to protect their selfish "little universe"... and how they react when they are confronted with the reality... Different themes are broached : utopia of a better world, death, honesty, betrayal, madness, sectarianism, violence, drugs... It's also a bitter critic of our way of life, of our western culture and of our incompetence to escape from it... A critic also of the american hegemony... Well... technically, The Beach is a wonder... The french Darius Khonji has, as usual, put all his talents in the cinematography and captured all the beauties of Thailand... The soundtrack is completely adapted with Danny Boyle's way of filming; dynamic, going from one scene to another, abrupt, rough... Actors-wise, the british actors Paterson Joseph (Keatty) and Tilda Swinton (Sals) deserved longer roles, the french Guillaume Canet as well... But their characters in the novel are not very developed either so... The rest of the cast (Swedish, danish, spanish actors) are good... and the brief scenes with the extraordinary Robert Carlyle (playing Daffy) are pure pleasure to watch (certainly a pleasure for him too)... Well, and DiCaprio ? He proves, once more in this film, if needed, what a talented actor he is. Maybe the young girls who felt in love with his Jack Dawson in Titanic or with Romeo will be disappointed here... His character is not a romantic but rather an envious, lying, selfish young man... a complex character like DiCaprio loves them... (see his wonderful performance in BaskeytBall Diaries, Total Eclipse or This Boy's Life among others...). I wish him other interesting parts like this one. In conclusion : The Beach, even if it's not a masterpiece is a really good movie to discover... if you're not allergic to the films that are a little different than the ususal ones. Bye... and excuse my hesitating english... my mother tongue is french !
Rating: 
Summary: Thoughtful, beautiful film
Review: I really enjoyed this movie when I saw it in the theater and can't wait to see it again on video. Fine performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and beautiful cinematography. It's a gem.
Rating:
Summary: The Beach Movie - Even Better Than The Book!
Review: Everyone said the the book of The Beach was very cinematic, this is probably true but for full character development and the bringing to life of personalities within the story, the film is the better of the two. Danny Boyle has done a lot to make the film his own despite it being based on Garlands book. He has given substance to the characters, Sal's movie character being more believable and more domineering than in the book.Her partner bugs only has a small part to play in the video but he too is better rounded and seems to have potential for real evil than his book counterpart. Leonardo DiCaprio makes the video from beginning to end, his character is neither angel nor saint a very true to life and expertly portraid. This talented actor makes us aware of his fluctuating emotions and feelings throughout the story with not only his commentary but also body language and subtle facial expressions. It is the kind of movie that makes us wonder what we would do in similar circumstances. It shows us that no matter how ideallic the surroundings, human nature will out. It has a feel of "Lord of The Flies", a group of people randomly brought together looking for paradise, but can paradise exist when it is to be inhabited by human beings, that is the question! A very thought provoking movie, entertaining with never a dull moment. You will find yourself discussing different aspects of it for weeks to come.
Rating: 
Summary: not good
Review: It's kinda weird. The movie didn't put me to sleep, but on the contrary, my eyes were wide open during the entire film expecting something to happen. When the credits started rolling, I was asking myself, "is this the intermission, or is this the ending?!" After it was all said and done, this movie was a big waste of time (and talent).
Rating:
Summary: Excellent thought provoking movie
Review: If you want to see an off-beat, thought provoking movie on the selfishness of modern life with wonderful performances (especially by Leonardo DiCaprio) I urge you to buy/rent this movie & see why it was such a big it everywhere apart from the US.
Rating:
Summary: easily the worst movie ever
Review: Obviously, someone came up w/ this great idea and had the capital to hire great actors and pay for great sets... the studio signed off on a huge budget for computer graphics, props and salaries... then they got the screenplay and/or director from the classifieds or something. What the? HORRENDOUS MOVIE. Not funny one bit.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the best, but one you'll eventually come back to
Review: NOTE: IF I could give this 2 and a half stars, that would be great, but I couldn't so I gave it 3. This movie is ok. The acting is sort of good, and the scenary is beautiful. The story is a bit weak, but the scenary and the intersting sub-plots make up for that. If you are offended by sex, DO NOT watch this movie. Leo has sex two times, both with different women. I don't know what Danny Boyle was on when he directed the movie, (no offence Danny) but it was totally different from the book. He left out Jed, and important character who Richard (played by Leo) went with to get supplies. Leaving out Jed, he had Richard go with Sal. Of course when they got to the place to get supplies, the started gettin' hot and heavy and what do ya know, BAM! They had sex. Knew that was coming didn't ya? Also, not to give anything away,(you should already know this is coming when you watch the movie) Richard steals Etienne's girfriend and has...you guessed it... sex with her. Also, the smoke ALOT of dope. (They do this in the book too, but it's more offending wen you actually see people do it.) When they get up in the morning, they smoke some dope. Lunch-dope. Dinner-dope. Late at night-dope. Heck, they even crawl through a dope field guarded by psychotic farmers with AK-47s. All in all: PROS: Nice scenary, pretty good acting, (although not the best they really could be) a lot of dope and sex, (if you like those things) a somewhat suspenful ending, and a very gory shark attack. (if you like that.) CONS: Alot of dope and sex, (if you don't like that) Hard to follow sub-plots, (this includes the part where he runs around, pretending he's in a video game) very gory shark attack, and, while it is usually good, some bland acting. BOTTOM LINE: Not the best, but one you'll eventully come back to.
Rating:
Summary: Food for thoughts....
Review: Taken for it's face value "The Beach" is an entertaining, lavish and exiting movie working on 2 levels: The humoristic, superficial contemporary picture of a backpacker in beautiful surroundings, which becomes second nature to the moviegoer and vanishing just as quickly as the coke and popcorn enjoyed, if this is what one is looking for - or leaving the committed moviegoer with a nagging point of a knife constantly rousing the consciousness making it wonder: What was that all about? Why? - and following a further dive into the inner deep likewise little by little brings up to mind questions and replies. The message is clear - it does, however, require efforts of the moviegoer her/himself to put words to it. And exactly that situation has been the wish of Danny Boyle, I believe! If one has expectations about experiencing a "Trainspotting 2", a successor to "Titanic" with a Jack Dawson risen from the dead - or a true copy of Alex Garland's book by the same name - well, then you will most likely return home in disappointment - as it meets with none of these. "The Beach" has been scripted freely after the book, and going to the theater with an open mind and wide open eyes - well, then you will be awarded with 2 hrs. of entertainment with an incredibly well-playing Leonardo DiCaprio, beautiful footage by Darius Khondji, exciting and surprising sound-, picture- and light effects and not the least a lot to think about following in respect to our modern society and materialistic based happiness! With this role Leonardo DiCaprio has returned pretty close to his earliest and very highly acknowledged performances of misfit characters as i.e. Arnie (What's Eating Gilbert Grape), Arthur Rimbaud (Total Eclipse), Jim (Basket Ball Diaries) and Hank (Marvin's Room). His acting appears amazingly effortless - but each single facial expression and body movement is thoroughly considered and communicates an altered state of mind and/or messages in split seconds. He is capable of looking pure lily-white, make true madness shine from his eyes, with a single sharp view belch out icy coldness but not the least have the audience shed a tear with him when he expresses deep emotions. His acting is beyond compare - strong, charismatic and seducing. Shame only that he does still have to suffer from the "Jack Dawson-syndrome" - people who knows the actor are fully aware of the fact that "Titanic" was the outsider and a solitary experience among his choices of roles and that exactly "Richard" is so much closer to the type of characters he wishes to work with and likewise is portraying so extremely well - but apparently the media won't spare him a chance to put that image behind... The movie is obviously dominated by DiCaprio in his capacity of presenting the main character "Richard" and as - in similarity with the book - the other characters are generally only faintly defined you are left with less remembrance of their parts and performances. The choice of Robert Carlyle as the crazy drug-addict "Daffy" is, however, perfect casting. He is trustworthy and plays well against DiCaprio. Tilda Swinton is likewise exactly the right choice for the character of the community's cold, self-appointed leader "Sal". She expresses just the perfect arrogance, cynicism, distance and not the least lack of sex appeal as the role requires of this fanatic character. Scandinavian actors are likewise to be found among the cast - and although appearing in just a small part - Norwegian Lars Arentz-Hansen gives us a fine performance as the very little symphatic character "Bugs". With his few lines he succeeds to draw a picture of a self-satisfied, I-know-better type, who does suddenly feel a threat against his "status" in the group due to Richard's rising popularity. Less successfully does it succeed the two French actors to fill in their roles. Guillaume Canet finds himself in a difficult situation as his role is a fusion of 2 characters, namely: "Etienne", the male part of the French lovers and the character "Jed" in the book, who represented the only islander with just some reasonable sense left. This cloning makes the character "Etienne" appear as a weak, soft and almost sugar-sweet person, which I doubt very much has been the original intention. Somehow he has ended up somewhere "between 2 chairs". Virginie Ledoyen is surely pretty looking as well as a sweet and very French girl - but maybe too French! What ever the reason there seems to be no real "spark" between her and DiCaprio in the love scenes. Maybe the chemistry between these 2 actors hasn't been a perfect one - for this part an actress with same kind of on screen charisma and cheerfulness as Kate Winslet and Claire Danes seems lacking. The weakest parts of the movie relates primarily to a missing time indication and a triangle drama that does never really turn into any drama. Those having read the book are aware of the fact that the situation at the beach doesn't really start to get out of hand untill some 250 pages into the book and some 6-8 months following "Richard's" arrival on the island. Hence Richard's altered mentally state is slowly built up in the book. In the movie though one does get the impression that everything happens within a time frame of few weeks only. Therefore I do understand those movie-goers who doesn't immediately grasp the idea of the meaning with his sudden change of mind and what the scenes in "the jungle" are all about. In the book one does likewise have constant expectations of a triangle love-drama which, however, never comes about - in the movie this triangle scenario is further developed but, unfortunately, it takes place totally without any drama and hence leaves you without the expected tension and intrigues, which is really a pity. As stipulated in the beginning "The Beach" should be experienced as a movie of it's own and shouldn't be the subject to any comparisons what-so-ever. By accepting it as it is I can promise the moviegoer a really great film experience with a fresh sense of humor, heavy satire, lavish footage, food for thoughts meeting the individual need and not the least a happy return to the screen of a tremendously well acting DiCaprio! I'll give it 4 out of 5 possible stars. Kirsten Langer, Denmark
Rating:
Summary: should've been called "The Cheech" instead!
Review: Cheech & Chong were kings of marijuana films. This film set out to more than that and failed miserably. Would have been better to have had Cheech Marin as one of the drug bosses and Chong as the Leonardo's character... then at least it would had the chance to be a comedy instead of the worst drama of the year.
Rating:
Summary: Why this movie is bad
Review: We are going, detail by detail, into why this movie is not a well made film..First off, the meaning. Having read the book, I got a strong sense of evil hidden in the shadow of paradise. In the movie, I got an inspirational tale of how an American finds paradise, goes insane, and gets sentimental about it afterward. The meaning of the film TOTALLY contradicts itself. The protagonist, Richard, has lived a life saturated with the digital age. Therefore, he cannot experience real emotion and travels to this secret beach. After it is all said and done, we see Richard in the final scene on a computer...Looking back with sentiment and remembering the people that went insane and tried to kill him. Richard smiles and we fade out. Meanwhile, the audience is left with no afterthoughts...The meaning of the film is escaping society to find a better life, yet suddenly they are saying "Oh, who cares? Paradise doesn't exist, so you can just continue living your boring digitally influenced lives." Meanwhile, "uplifting" music plays and the audience leaves the theater. Next off is the acting. I have absolutely no qualms with Leo. I haven't enjoyed his performances so far, but he has potential to do well in the future. In the Beach, he barely registers. He gives the character absolutely no depth by reading motivating passages that have absolutely nothing to do with the movie or the people in it. Meanwhile, the French sex kitten he travels with does not register AT ALL. I forgot every single character as soon as I left the theater. Robert Carlyle, however, had intensity but it lasted only for his 4 minute screen time. Next is the book-to-film transfer. Fantastically bad. Jed, one the most crucial characters in the book, is nowhere to be seen in this pile of bowel movement. Next off is the sex. Never once does Richard get involved with anyone on the beach. He develops friendships with them, but he doesn't ever even come close to having sex with the community leader, Sal. We are left with 2 sex scenes that last an eternity to titillate the audience, yet they don't. Next is the scene in which Richard searches through his own "heart of darkness"...In the movie, we see a 3 minute montage (played to a song by Blur) in which Richard screws around in the jungle and becomes a video game. Hmm, insanity looks kind of fun! That is what we are led to believe by the presentation of this film. The movie does not include the food poisoning (crucial to the book), certain key characters, Richard's discovery of a dead body in Koh Phangan, the contradictory ending, dark tones or any of the mysterious atmosphere. It does include a bunch of scenes that look really useless because the crucial elements that tie them into the movie are left out (most likely for Leo's convienience). The book does not include either sex scene, the video game scene, ANY of the motivational passages in the movie (such as "Trust me, this is paradise" or "You hope and dream, but you never think its going to work out") Danny Boyle, the director, needs to take Common Film Knowledge 101 again, I'm afraid.
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