The Beach

Cinematographer Darius Khonji does a superb job of conveying both the sensual beauty (there's a spectacular moonlight-on-the-water sex scene with Leo and the lovely Ledoyen), and the darkness of Richard's paradise lost.

Whether he's smacking into an iceberg or flopping topless onto a sandy beach, DiCaprio is still maddeningly lightweight.

Terrific looking in the extreme, The Beach is the movie equivalent of vacation reading: no more demanding -- and no less satisfying -- than a sandy paperback left on a damp towel.

Colorful and exciting, as far as it goes. But Boyle and Hodge pull back on their usual wit and grit.

Obvious in its observations, predictable in its conclusions, and a little dull in the telling.

It's "Beach Blanket Bingo" revisited, but with a Eurocast and more exotic locations.

Murky, pretentious and torturously inert.

Great acting by Leonardo DiCaprio. Also the story is interesting with some dark twists and cynic elements. The setting also with paradise scenery. I expected just an average movie, but was surprised positively.

Has many story and screenplay issues but has kinetic energy and bold themes.

Some films arrive with so much hype you expect them to define a generation, but they end up as little more than a footnote. That’s the case with The Beach. I waited 25 years to see it, and in the end I hadn’t missed **** film starts strong, with the promise of an initiatory journey and Leonardo DiCaprio fresh from the Titanic phenomenon. But it never quite knows what it wants to be: part glossy music video, part tropical thriller, part social allegory. In none of these areas does it fully succeed.Visually it’s striking — Boyle has always had an eye for staging, and the Thai landscapes look stunning. The soundtrack is also memorable, easily the most lasting element. But the script is unfocused, pretending to reflect on utopias and community ideals while settling for hollow lines and predictable twists.DiCaprio carries the role but his character feels underwritten, more a guide through pretty backdrops than a fully fleshed-out protagonist. The supporting cast barely registers, deepening the sense of **** the end, The Beach feels empty. It flirts with grand ideas but delivers little beyond postcard beauty. Watchable for its visuals and music, yes, but ultimately forgettable — a flashy surface hiding a hollow core.

This is the second major film of DiCaprio after the success of Titanic. His performance is the only good measure here. Actually the second good thing is the movie promoted Thailand tourism a lot. The rests are bad - lacking all of the elements that a movie needed. Unless you're a dedicated Leonardo fan, skip THE BEACH. I found it very long, boring, pointless and not entertaining.

The Beach should have been called The Cute Guy From Titanic Takes His Cloths Off. "Leo" got a very big following after being in the then best grossing film of all time, Titanic. It was an amazing film and he did a great job, but unfortunately for us horny Americans, there wasn't enough skin. That's where The Beach comes in. This was a rush job plain and simple. The movie has no flow or plot, it's big sell was Leo DiCaprio on The Beach wearing very little. Honestly he should have just done a magazine shoot and saved us the time, because this movie isn't worth the film it is shot on. Unless you want to see lots of Leo with his shirt off, this movie is a definite pass.