|
Many young people today are trying to get away from all the technology that surrounds them.
This film caters to that group of young people. Many have heard of the mythical beach that exists
on an island hidden from view. Only a few have actually been there. Leonardo Di Caprio (Richard)
is going to be one with a young French couple played by Virginie Ledoyen and Guillaume Canet.
While vactioning in Bangkok Richard has an encounter with the wacky Daffy played by Robert
Carlyle. This rambling, paranoid man is obvious spent many years in the sun and many years on
drugs. Daffy tells Richard about this secret island where there are no tourists and a perfect
beach...it's a paradise on Earth. Daffy leaves him a map and takes his own life. Richard, Etienne
and the beautiful Francoise head off on their journey.
Once they arrive after an arrdous journey they discover the beach but they also discover drug
farmers with big guns and a nasty attitude. They also find a colony on the beach who have lived
there for years after striking up a deal with the drug dealers. They live there but they could not
tell anyone else about the island. Here they live happily for sometime enjoying the weather and
the beach. Yet beneath all this is a story that is actual a microcosm of real society. Not everything
is perfect. We will see personal conflicts, betrayls, death, shark attacks and even petty jealousies.
This perfect world is not so perfect after all and we get to see ourselves, our real world
behaviours and attitudes seep into paradise. Paradise Lost, hey I had to sneak that in
somewhere okay. Anyway paradise becomes a nightmare. A real silly sight is watching Di Caprio
at one point doing the Martin Sheen part from APOCALYPSE NOW. He looks silly to us
older folks but the young girls should get a kick out of it. The writter and director are really trying
to say something about society here but somewhere he got lost in his own message when he
lets the story wander away with itself. It is obvious that by the end both writer and director have
decided that a perfect society can not exist on this world, anyway. The ending is a striking scene
but it still lacked punch even though it was good.
This is not a bad movie but it really isn't a good movie either. It is just an okay movie. The
potiential is there but it just does not come out the right way. My recommendation when it comes
to this movie??? Let's see...you like Di Caprio...go see it...you like beautiful beaches...go see it...
you like beautiful people with empty heads...go see it...if you want to see a fairly mindless movie
trying to be relevant...go see it. I hope you enjoy it. After all only you are the critic that you should
listen to.
|
RETURN TO MOVIE REVIEW LISTINGS