Rating: 
Summary: Flawed but fantastic
Review: Adapting Alex Garland's popular novel was always going to be a tough job. Director Danny Boyle ('Trainspotting', 'Shallow Grave', 'A Life Less Ordinary') just about manages it. There are, of course, several bad points, but the good points do outweigh them. The story is about Richard and two fellow travellers who manage to make their way to a sort of paradise for the backpacker, an island community on a perfect beach. And there the stage is set for our characters to realise that paradise isn't all it's cracked up to be.Probably the thing that no-one will forgive is the casting of Leonardo diCaprio in the main role of Richard. Impressive as diCaprio was in 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape?', he seems a little stuck here. After all, the book is at least partly about the English obsession with travelling and casting someone that wasn't English was never going to help. However, diCaprio does somehow manage to come out of this relatively unscathed. Despite the bad casting, he makes a fair job of the role. Although he may not be so good early on, he's excellent when he is driven insane, shouting, hiding and screaming alone in the woods. Virginie Ledoyen and Guillaume Canet are perfect though, every bit the Françoise and Etienne as you imagine them in the book. Tilda Swinton as Sal is also quite intimidating, even if her character isn't really fleshed out well. Neither, for that matter, is Bugs - Sal's possessive boyfriend. Plus there's the exclusion of Jed, arguably one of the most important characters in the book. However, this exclusion was understandable in the face of a movie that was aimed mostly at teenage fans of diCaprio. Perhaps most disappointing though, is Richard's insanity, which is suddenly thrust upon the audience from nowhere. Although once Richard is mad it makes for compelling viewing, there's always that niggling feeling of why did he become mad, which is never explained properly in the movie. Even so, the whole thing is brilliantly seductive, with spotless beaches and an even more spotless cast. The movie achieves one goal if nothing else: the audience really feels like paradise is being laid out in front of them. It's sublime and the whole thing is visually perfect. The ending was another matter though. Wisely steering clear of the book's ending, as the characters weren't nearly as three-dimensional enough in the movie for it to work, it instead has an actually quite riveting last scene on the beach. Unfortunately, there's a distinctly upbeat ending, which seems to have been tagged on for the benefit of a younger audience. At the end of the day, it's a great movie, but the book is so much better.
Rating: 
Summary: its allright.
Review: The movie gets you into the film because it becomes exciting, but then it becomes just another soap opera when the affairs start flying off the wall. A good flick to rent, and watch - ONE TIME ONLY.
Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely horrendous!
Review: This is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. I saw it to check out the scenery instead of the story, but could barely sit through it. The plot is terrible and after Richard is sent away from the rest as punishment until he can get rid of the newcomers - it only gets worse and confusing. The whole video game scene was ridiculous - what was up with that! If it is not too late, do NOT see this movie, it will only waste your time!
Rating: 
Summary: Talk about a wicked movie!
Review: Love Leonardo? Love beautiful beaches? You'll love this movie! I've never seen Leo hotter than he is in this movie about a perfect vacation that get tainted. Crazy things happen, and the movie gets better and better throughout. Everybody will enjoy this movie but if you LOVE LEO thank you'll LOVE THIS MOVIE!!!!! Buy it!
Rating:
Summary: The Worst Movie I Ever Saw In My Life
Review: I saw this movie only once when it was still in theaters and I thought it was the worst I have ever seen. The plot is bad and the actors were terrible. Stay away from this one because it ...!
Rating:
Summary: Moby Dick is far better than this Beached Whale
Review: This film is fragmented, irritating and pointless. In my opion after Shallow Grave it was pretty much downhill for the Danny Boyle team. Yes I do think Shallow Grave is superior to Trainspotting. Well I have done it now! lol But in all seriousness there really is an essence of desperation in the making of this film - rather than being content to explore the community realtionships that are causing strife in the island, the narrative has been rewritten to 'spice' up the action: This could have been the modern Lord of the flies, but falls far short of that. I can understand that it has tried to focus on the personal discovery of the central character, however even this feels polluted - The oppitomy of the film being the 'artistically' expressed computer game sequence - added in such a way that it seems that someone was cluching at straws to make this film 'different;' they suceeded, it is: but just not in a good way. If you want to see how personal descovery of one's self can be obtained through interaction with mother earth - look at the textual examples seen in 'THE THIN RED LINE' or 'APOCALYPSE NOW.' There is one good point about this film - and that lies in the photography - Darius Kondji is outstanding as always! But to sample his work in perfect combination with the mise-en-scene and narrative of a film watch 'SE7EN.' To see Danny Boil and the team at their best watch 'SHALLOW GRAVE' but don't watch this!
Rating:
Summary: Spectacular movie ; Spectacular DVD
Review: This movie was awsome to begin with, but with the added features on the DVD version, it makes it that much better! Although I am a guy and not a huge fan of Leonardo DiCaprio, I still really liked his acting and the plot is awsome! Without giving away the alternate ending, ill just say that it is totally different and really goes more into depth about what happened to Sal. Now, the reason that I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because the smaller screen makes it so that little is seen. On some machines this feature can be changed, so I definatly reccommend that.
Rating:
Summary: Boyle's most commercial movie, but still good...
Review: Danny Boyle brought us the dark and macabre Shallow Garve, which was excellent and Trainspotting, which was a very funny and stylish film. I have to say that Ewan McGregor was missing in this one....maybe they thought the role would be more appropriate for a beautiful actor, and it's too bad they chose one with such a limited talent: Leonardo DiCaprio. Really, I doubt seeing Ewan McGregor in bening suit would attract more girls than seeing Leo. That is unfortunately another proof that this movie has a commercial goal. And what about Virginie Ledoyen, who never seemed to feel anything...right, she is, I think, the most beautiful superstar in the world...but is she a good actress? Well...she doesn't deliver a very amazing performance...but, the rest of the cast wasn't bad...there were some nice and innovative scenes, like when Richard imagines that his life is like a video game...I enjoyed the film, the atmosphere of freedom but still, I didn't feel I had just watched an important film after watching the beach...but still, I think it deserves more than the poor IMDb user's average of 5.8...it's an under-estimated film....I liked it, not as much as Shallow Grave or Trainspotting.
Rating:
Summary: Execelent and well acted
Review: All I heard was horrible reviews about this movie and I almost avoided it.I was in Blockbuster and decided I would give it a try.I was actually very impressed by it.The film is about an American who is backpacking somewhere and finds a map to a beach.He meets a French couple and invites them to come with him to paradise.When he gets to this beach he finds it to be somewhat all that he expected.Until the end of the movie when he found out he wasn't supposed to tell anyone about the beach.The movie is very well acted.It holds your interest.Not a bad movie at all.Also has an excelent soundtrack.
Rating:
Summary: No Stars -- stars please.
Review: Anyone who thinks this film is a masterpiece has excrement for brains. Leonardo's acting as well as that of the rest of the cast stinks, and the plot is flimsy with more holes than they put in a cheese grater. This is a classic example of "lets take a really bad plot and put in a real popular actor" scenario. If you exclude the "under 15 crowd" this movie would have maybe sold 10 tickets.
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