There was always going to be a lot riding on The Beach. Would the Trainspotting trio manage to wipe off the egg that had been left on their faces after A Life Less Ordinary? And could Leonardo DiCaprio live up to the expectations placed on him after Titanic made him the world's most bankable star? Returning to an earlier, successful formula, Danny Boyle and his collaborators - producer Andrew Macdonald and writer John Hodge - have adapted Andrew Garland's cult best-seller with their customary style and flair. They've even kept the same basic structure: a male lead narrator in a tale of adventure-turned-sour.
Having usurped Ewan McGregor in the Trainspotting team's affections, it fell to DiCaprio to play Richard, an American on the rave trail in Thailand who stumbles across a map to a perfect, remote beach where a group of travellers have set up their own community. The cynical move of adapting Richard's nationality (from British) to incorporate Leo's box-office clout has proved relatively successful in terms of this film. Leo fits in perfectly with the vapid smugness of The Beach.
It's not all bad. Visually stunning, The Beach has plenty of imaginative stylistic touches: Richard and Francoise (Viriginie Ledoyen) larking around with a camera aimed at stars in the night sky or Richard acting out his hallucinogenic Apocalypse Now fantasies as if in a video game. But there are also moments of extreme laziness. A shot of Leo swimming underwater could be interchanged with the one of McGregor in Trainspotting and the watery kiss when Richard gets the girl (Romeo & Juliet, anyone? It's even the same actor!) border on recycling and plagiarism respectively. Added to which, the soundtrack to The Beach is not used half well as in either of the other two, with an overstrung score indicating to us how we should, but sadly don't, feel.
Seductive, supersaturated colours fail to gloss over the drawbacks here. With little characterisation, few themes and a lack of any one convincing emotional journey, we ultimately don't care about these characters. The bleak, apocalyptic ending of the novel has been altered so that all that remains of The Beach is a kind of adventure holiday for the MTV generation, rather than a cautionary tale of a society that turns on itself. Right at the start of the film, Richard says that he's searching for something "more visceral, more real". Watching The Beach, so was I.
Reviewed by Monika Maurer
Reader comments about The Beach
kirsty fox (wosti@yahoo.com) writes:
I know it's typical for me to say 'it wasn't as good as the book', but this film made me so angry. That book was just screaming to be turned into one of the greatest films of our generation. So dark, so gripping, so surreal. The growing tension, cinematic descriptions and clever computer game metaphors seemed perfect for the masters of dreamlike reality - the figment crew. So, where was the darkness and psychological conflict that dripped from Shallow Grave and Trainspotting? It was in the novel. Was the soul of this film washed away in a torrent of money and pretty-boy leads? If only I had the money I'd remake this film tommorrow, sure it would be a bit shabby and amateur, but at least I'd do the book a bit of justice.
bexy (Email address withheld) writes:
i really enjoyed watching the film but i do agree that it wasnt as good as the book. leonardo dicaprio is a good actor so it isnt his fault if the film is pants. if i could make the film tomorrow i would but i would keep the cast. i do think that the director made a rubbish job of the film
Gina (VexingCreature4@aol.com) writes:
The song Porcelain was very entrancing and when along perfectly with the movie. The colours stimulated my eyes and I got chills from watching it over and over again. I'm a big fan of Leo. All the other actors did fantastic! I love the water there too. It's so true as to what some of the islands look like in Thai Land. I have relatives there and they said it was just like home.
sushma (jncite@yahoo.com) writes:
ya it is also about this beach and stuff but its more bout the narrator,his state of mind at every mode and turn,i would rename this movie to 'all bout a traveller',i havent read the book and i dont think theres any sense in comparing ,the director has a right to convey what he wants to in his own film.and i am sure hes proud of it.leo does a great job as this typical american kid looking for something different.the writers done a great job as you'll get to hear some real true facts of life.And the beach was just breathtaking...you can just sit back and enjoy.richards first kiss was amazingly romantic(underwater with shiny planktons all around).my all time favourite.
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