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 The Beach (DVD)
Description: Genre: Action & Adventure / Theatrical Release: 2000 / Director: Danny Boyle / Actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tilda Swinton ... more  The Beach (DVD) ... ... / DVD released 25 July, 2000 at 20th Century Fox / Features of the DVD: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Colour, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC / Leonardo DiCaprio sought to distance himself from the cloying wholesomeness of his character in Titanic, and his role in The Beach is in many ways a polar opposite. As Richard, a young American seeking to "suck in the experience" of freestyle travel in Thailand, he is a chronic liar, a pot-smoking hedonist, an amoral lover and ultimately an unstable snake in a doomed Garden of Eden. This crazy descent might be expected from the filmmakers of Trainspotting, but The Beach is a movie without a rudder, venturing into fascinating territory, promising a stimulating adventure and then careening out of control.After receiving a not-so-secret map to a secluded island from a stoned-out loony (Robert Carlyle, full of dark portent and spittle), Richard sets out to find the hidden paradise with a young French couple (Virginie Ledoyen, Guillaume Canet). What they find is a tropical commune existing in delicate balance with Thai pot farmers, and before long--as always--there is trouble in paradise. There is trouble in the movie, too, as DiCaprio is reduced to histrionics when the plot turns into a muddled mix of Lord of the Flies and Apocalypse Now, with shark attacks tossed in for shallow tension. Director Danny Boyle attempts perfunctory romance and a few audacious moves (notably DiCaprio's vision of life as a violent video game), but what's the point? Tilda Swinton registers strongly as the commune's charismatic leader, but her character--and the entire film--remains largely undeveloped, and pretty scenery is no guarantee of a laudable film. --Jeff ShannonNewest Review: ... they reach their destination using a variety of means of transport, and a few hiccups along the way. When they finally set ... more ... foot on the spectacular 'beach' (in real life it's shot in Maya Bay, on Phi Phi Ley Island, in the Krabi provence of Thailand) it's a sight to behold, and, speaking from my own experience, is almost like it is in real life, apart from there is a small gap in the cliffs surrounding the lagoon, and they moved some sand around to get some shots (sparking a court case from environmentalists that is still going on today, but that's another story). The water really is crystal clear, the sky is that blue, and the sand is pur...more |
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The Beach (DVD): "28 Days Later" - There's an hour of my life I ... (1324 words)
by collingwood21 - written on 10.11.02 (Very useful, 444 readings)
Rating:
As with everything I try to write about recently, there is no category for the new release "28 Days Later" - I could have sworn there was, but there you go. I have chosen this category to put my review in as it was the last film done by the same director and writer, and I was damned if I was going to bin my words after putting the effort into writing them. As always, I apologise for this. Released on Halloween, "28 days later" had assumed the top spot in the UK Box Office charts within a week of release, having taken a massive £1.5m by November 5th - this is despite having an 18 certificate and being up against Disney's ...
Well It's Better Than Working (1229 words)
by wampyrii - written on 07.11.02 (Very useful, 39 readings)
Rating:
Ahh, a movie with Leonardo Di Caprio in the starring role - what could be more enjoyable? Perhaps an evening spent sticking pins in your eyes eh? I've had the misfortune of enduring three of Leo's other movies before this one: Critters 3 (which he can't be blamed for), The Man In The Iron Mask where he's miserably miscast in a crap movie and more unfortunately he plays two roles badly instead of just one and Titanic...don't get me started on that one! With those movies in mind, and with Poison Ivy there too which I turned off before half an hour had passed, I was less than interested in seeing The Beach either and wouldn't have were the choice ...
The Beach (DVD): Sea, Sand and Sex (805 words)
by NikkiH - written on 18.06.02 (Very useful, 87 readings)
Rating:
Many films are hyped so much before the release that you feel you have actually seen the film before it is released. This was very much the case with 'The Beach', and I was not expecting any surprises. Based on the novel by Alex Garland, and brought to us by the team behind 'Trainspotting', 'Shallow Grave' and 'Life Less Ordinary', who are director Danny Boyle, producer Andrew MacDonald, and script writer John Hodge, so you may expect the film to have some dry wit in amongst the plot, and it is there but in small doses. After failing to attain the same success as he did in 'Titanic', Leonardo De Caprio was quoted ...
The Beach (DVD) : Insert beach pun <here>from triplecthegame
11.02.2001
The Beach (DVD) : Read the real Beachfrom tonyrich
17.10.2000
