The Beach

Rating:
Summary: A good novel ruined by typical Hollywood filmmaking
Review: I just finished the novel by Alex Garland as well as seeing this movie adaptation, so I can state an educated opinion that this film falls short of capturing the story that the novel does. There are some minor changes that I can live with, for example, when Francoise jumps off the waterfall first (in the novel Richard jumps off first) and the ending of the movie (the novel's ending would have been too graphic for the movie).

But what is NOT acceptable is the fact that director Danny Boyle follows the trend of typical Hollywood filmmaking and inserts a couple of unecessary sex scenes that don't move the plot in any way whatsoever. The first is with Richard and Francoise. Anyone who has read the novel knows that while they do flirt a little and have some sexual tension between them, they do not hook up. Having them hook up in this film only satisfies the obligatory love sub-plot, which ends up going nowhere. If Boyle at least made it contribute to the story then it might have been justified. But it doesn't. The second example is with Richard and Sal, when they go to the mainland for the Rice Run. Another excuse for a sex scene, which again adds nothing to the plot. Not only do Richard and Sal never have sex in the novel, but Richard goes on the Rice Run with Jed, a vital character who isn't even in this film. But even if we can overlook the absence of Jed, the characters of Francoise and Sal are compromised and cheapened, turning them into cheap sluts, whereas in the novel both are very dedicated to their partners.

But having said all this negativity, this movie adaptation does have its merits. The set location couldn't have been more perfect. This is exactly how I imagined this beach would look like while reading the novel. And in all fairness, it does capture the general "essence" of the novel even if it takes so many liberties with it.

All in all, "The Beach" is probably best enjoyed by those who have not read Alex Garland's book. And for those of you who have read the book and still enjoy this film, more power to you. But many readers like myself will be disappointed with the unecessary changes made which distort both the characters themselves and the plot of the book.

Rating:
Summary: Not bad, but too pretty-boy
Review: Leonardo DiCaprio finds paradise on a secret-but-legendary-among-hippies island, but finds out he's one toke over the line when the residents aren't allowed to leave and have to share it with nasty drug smugglers. The movie attempts to be moral by having the happy trippers simply move a desperately ill comrade away to die alone so he doesn't intrude on their party, but it doesn't work. Leo was probably just looking for something to ride out the hype of "Titanic" but he's wasted on this movie. Still, if you simply enjoy watching attractive young people in bathing suits, then this one is worth a look.

Rating:
Summary: In search of marijuana island.
Review: Hollywood awaited to know what film would leonardo Dicaprio do next after the much successful TITANIC (1997). He made The Man In The Iron mask (1998) and this film THE BEACH (2000). Richard is a young man in Bangkok. He enters a hotel for some comfort, but meets a man (Robert Carlyle, The World Is Not Enough [1999]) who is loud, destructive and high on marijuana. The man talks of an island with a beautiful girl on it. The next morning he receives a special map of this island. He visits the man next door only to find him murdered. After telling the police, Richard decides to set out for his own adventure to find this mysterious island. He meets some other young guys who also know the story of this mysterious island with marijuana on it to last the rest of your life. Richard makes it to the island, but he is about to find out how dangerous this island really is.
Note: Leonardo got in shape for the role.

Rating:
Summary: Still my favorite film!
Review: Great movie, although like everyone else says, the book is better by all counts. I have always discovered this, like with the Christine novel by Stephen King.

I also gotta ask this, but does anybody happen to know where I can find the necklace the Leonardo chracter wore in this movie? Or what designer makes it or if they still do? I'm sure it's not _just_ a prop that was made just for the film (at least I hope not, lol). Anyway feel free to email me with any info.

Rating:
Summary: Good-Lookin' Gumbo
Review: What's disappointing about The Beach isn't the cinematography, which is great, or the plot, which is okay, or the acting, which is good. It's the trailer. Have you seen this thing? It makes the movie out to be some fast-paced, thrill-a-minute, will they make it out alive fright-fest. And it is absolutely none of those things.

The movie is about an American traveller named Richard. Played very well by Leonardo DiCaprio, Richard stumbles across a map that reveals the location of some perfect little island, a paradise, if you will, and being an impetuous and free-willed young man, Richard decides to go there, accompanied by a young French couple that he has only just met.

On this island are two things: 1) enough marjuana to keep all of Ann Arbor busy for a few months, and 2) drug dealers. Barely escaping the drug dealers, our protagonists manage to find the other half of the island, which is populated by kind and reserved people who have decided to reject the outside world and create a perfect little society on this gorgeous island that virtually nobody else knows about.

This community has a long-standing pact with the kind-hearted drug dealers. They co-exist in peace as long as they tell nobody else about the island. Everybody's happy.

The plot doesn't have much going for it, other than it is a vehicle for some pretty heavy sociological/philosophical messages. But despite the scanty use of conflict in the film, the movie as a whole is fairly entertaining. Directed by Danny Boyle, The Beach has a lot of the same sort of stuff that can be found in Boyle's other works. It has the same gritty sound and speed as Trainspotting, but it also has the confusing and out-of-place weirdism of A Life Less Ordinary. In fact, even though I give this movie a cozy two thumbs up, there are three problems with it that may bother more discriminating viewers.

1. A forced love story. Anyone who knows movies knows that all producers want some sort of love interest in their movie. It gets the attention of the female viewership. In many cases, this is pulled off without a hitch. In the case of The Beach, it is almost as if they made the entire movie and then, as a second-thought, realized they needed some kissin', and so they dumped in a horribly contrived and emotionally weak romance between Leo and the young French lady. 2. An unnecessary soul-quest, a la Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's The Doors. At some point, Leo goes crazy for fifteen or twenty minutes as he wanders about the jungle. This has absolutely no bearing on the rest of the film. It's like a commercial for insanity. 3. The final moral of the movie is imparted by the kindhearted ring-leader of the drug dealers, who doesn't just vocalize the moral, but delivers it Solomon-style: with this obscure and insightful test of the hidden resort leader's faith. Although this is plausible in Danny Boyle's world, I doubt the drug dealer's would have imparted anything to the head-strong island citizens other than a volley of bullets. But, then again, I'm not an expert on drug dealers.

Rating:
Summary: Rather good.
Review: This is a great movie, and Leonardo is the man for the job. The movie is NOTHING comparred to the utterly brilliant book, but don't mind that. The scenery is beautiful and the acting is wonderful. The picture and sound (of the DVD, as well as vide) are great. The commentary on the special features is actually INTERESTING.
Richard is a man who wants to try something different. He gets a map from a mad englishman, and , with his two new french friends, sets off for the island. The way that the people of the island work is amazing, and it gets me everytime I watch it. Leo does such a great job as the star that you feel as if you know the main charecter personally.
Although the book ending was better, the movie ending was not bad either. I prefer to think of the book and the movie as two sepperate storylines, because the movie is EXTREMELY different than the movie, yet the movie is exelent on its own. Buy this movie. Trust me.