"Down the glens, Where the headlands stand, I feel a healing, Through this land" (Runrig)
"Down the glens, Where the headlands stand, I feel a healing, Through this land" (Runrig)
Member since:01.07.2009
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The Beach was released in 2000, adapted from the novel by Alex Garland by the team of director Danny Boyle and screenwriter John Hodge. This is a film that I saw when it came out, at the cinema I believe, I have seen it once since then, and I watched it again just a few weeks ago.
The Beach stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Richard, a young American who travels to Thailand seeking adventure and escape. Once there, he meets a French couple, Étienne and Francoise, and after he is given a map to a legendary paradise-like beach, they set off on an adventure to find it. Needless to say, they do, and find the community who live there. They have a positively idyllic time for a while, and then things start to unravel.
The story of The Beach is uplifting, shocking, horrifying and hilarious. I have never read the book, nor anything else by Alex Garland, but he seems to be quite a storyteller if this film can be taken as evidence. He sends these young people (and Leo DiCaprio's Richard
seems very young and immature) off on an adventure in search of paradise, which they find, but soon they begin to learn that nothing in life is as it seems.
The character of Richard is spectacularly irritating. He is so immature, and has no idea about real life or relationships and emotions. I think DiCaprio was a good choice to play him - Danny Boyle has famously claimed the studio went over his head to cast DiCaprio instead of his choice and regular lead actor, Ewan McGregor. I'm a huge fan of McGregor, I love him, but I don't think he would have been right in this role - DiCaprio played the right blend of innocence, naivety and arrogance for the character.
I found the dialogue very stilted in places. I think this is due to a combination of the screenplay and acting. So often Richard would say something that just sounded so forced, like it had been added just to make the viewer aware of some fact. I noticed this with other characters too, but particularly him.
For me the best bits of the film were the introductions we were given to the community at the beach. They were done with humour and a bit of silliness, and despite being set up like the characters were introducing themselves directly to the camera, they seemed very natural. I particularly liked poor Unhygienix, the community chef, who can't get rid of the smell of fish - as that is their staple diet.
From a few early moments of danger, the community's idyllic life soon goes a bit wrong. I started to find that the film made me squirm once this was happening - there was pain, horror, fear, and I didn't find it pleasant viewing.
One later sequence which I remembered as being good from previous viewings, and which I enjoyed again this time, was the computer game sequence. Richard is banished to the woods to resolve a mistake he has made, and the loneliness gets to him a little. He soon starts to feel part of the forest, and lays traps and taunts the local cannabis farmers. At one point he is running through the forest, dodging bugs and his own traps, and sees his life there as a computer game. We see a computer graphic view of Richard as he bounces through forest, seeing off threats. This is a nice lighthearted moment in a film which has become very dark by this moment, and one which stands out for me.
Watching it now, The Beach is very much a film of its time. The music is instantly dateable to the late nineties, as are the characters and lifestyle. The soundtrack is a roll call of late nineties dance, trance and electro, including Moby, Orbital, Leftfield and Faithless, alongside "that" song by All Saints, Pure Shores (which actually I find I still quite like!). As dated as this sounds, it fits the movie perfectly, and anything else would not have worked. One breath of fresh air is the inclusion of Redemption Song, which is sung by the characters.
I was disappointed by The Beach this time round. It was great at the time of release, good a few years later, but not so much now. If you haven't seen it, I would recommend giving it a go, but if like me you have seen it before, I wouldn't advise returning to it - it is a film of its time and best kept there.
Originally posted on Dooyoo.co.uk by me under the same username
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I definitely agree with you on the Dicaprio casting - Ewan MacGregor is great and I love him, but he wasn't right for the role - it had to be a spoiled brat kind of character and poor Leo fits that perfectly!
Ruby.xo 12.08.2009 11:43
I watched this four nights ago and have to say I completely disagree as I thought this was an excellent film, really good and exciting! Plus, how is DiCaprio a disadvantage and its not that dated you'd never know apart from the GameBoy! Great review though! very helpful from me xxxxx
jinxyjo 09.08.2009 13:06
Great review. I read the book to and it was completely different in parts. :)
Leonardo DiCaprio sought to distance himself from the cloying wholesomeness of his ... more
character inTitanic, and his role inThe Beachis in many ways a polar opposite. As Richard, a young American seekingto "suck in the experience" of freestyle travel in Tha...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Leonardo DiCaprio is electrifying in this adrenaline-drenched, tantalizingly seductive ... more
thriller from the director of Trainspotting, Richard (DiCaprio) a young American backpacker, is willing to risk his life for just one thing: that mind-blowing rush y...
Advantages: Looks gorgeous, Has Leo topless 90% of the time(well YOU might see that as an advantage!) Disadvantages: Limp romance, loses itself, scared to explore the more interesting themes it touches upon
wampyrii 24.11.2002 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Beach (DVD)
Advantages: Sexy & encouraging instructor! Extended 15 minute Bums & Tums section, music is more enjoyable than the 1st Disadvantages: Only one 30 minute dance section which is not as challenging as expected
![The Beach [2000] [DVD]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78544028.jpg "The Beach [2000] [DVD]")
Aug 8th, 2009
exceptional by (2%):
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