Rent The Beach (2000)

Unsatisfying Drama - The Beach review by GI

In many ways this is a strange film in director Danny Boyle's canon. Adapted from a novel by Alex Garland, one of Boyle's regular writers, it's essentially the familiar cinematic narrative where a stranger enters a community and after the events of the story leaves it having disrupted the balance either for good or bad. A narrative trope often found within the western genre. Here the main character is Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio), a young American, who is seeking adventure in Thailand. One evening he meets a wacky guy (Robert Carlyle) who leaves him a hand drawn map and promptly commits suicide. The map shows an isolated island where there is a beautiful beach and where those in the know can go for peace and harmony. Persuading a young French couple to join him Richard sets off on the journey to the island where he discovers an entire community led by Sal (Tilda Swinton). It's a sort of idyllic hippy community and Richard and his companions are made welcome even though the local drug cartel that grow their weed on the other half of the island have stipulated that there is to be no more people allowed. Unfortunately Richard shared the map with some surfer dudes before making the journey and their arrival sets off a chain of events that makes Richard have to focus on his priorities. There's a bit of a survival adventure vibe going on here and the course of the events is rather predictable and there's a jarring section where Richard imagines he's a character in a video game that didn't fit well for me. I was left with the impression that the story arc has been watered down somewhat even when it climaxes with a decision between murder and the continuation of the idyll that the community enjoys. The character of Richard is reprehensible, he's a liar, very impressed with himself and enjoys the sex he gets even when betraying friends in the process. The nature of his personality then jars somewhat with the film's relaxed ending where we don't really see any of the results from the film's events. Overall this makes the film a bit mediocre and it's certainly not a film that is high on Boyle's accomplishments.

Another world! - The Beach review by CP Customer

I'd heard about this film but never actually got around to watching it until now. And since it was out in 2000 I should have watched it by now. But 10 years on and i'm regretting not watching it sooner!

Danny Boyle did a fantastic job of taking you to another world almost but still making it believable. The Beach focuses on a man's journey to something beyond belief. I thought DiCaprio's performance was one of the best I've seen by him. He held the film the entire time and I couldn't take my eyes of the screen.

Fantastic casting. Great cinematography. A must see for Danny Boyle fans.

Watchable if implausible Danny Boyle film based on the 1997 novel - The Beach review by PV

This film is annoying and entertaining. I actually read the novel by the very well-connected Alex Garland in 1997 - and this fits with most (not all) of it. Garland also wrote the very derivative but excellent Danny Boyle film 28 DAYS LATER. and now seems to focus on writing/directing science fiction movies. Maybe I'll sell my first edition novel on the back of this though LOL.

Leonardo di Caprio is perfectly cast as is Tilda Swinton who is perfect as the deeply manipulative hippy leader of the beach people. So accurate how hippies despite all the talk of love and peace, really just want money and power.

I have never been to Thailand - I am just off the age group who went there in the 90s as Alex Garland did. The whole dope-smoking culture I find boring and the beach rave culture stuff - like some parts of this movie.

But overall, watchable., though hardly realistic or plausible.

3 stars