The Beach - 2000 - Danny Boyle

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Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a board American tourist traveling in Thailand. While in Bangkok he has an encounter with a man called Daffy who tells him about a beach. Daffy is clearly insane and the next day he leaves Richard a map before checking out. Richard takes this as a sign and decides to ask the French couple staying next door to him if they would like to go on an adventure with him. They find the beach and it truly is a paradise.

There are many people that do not like The Beach and I can see why. The characters are not likable and the facade of the beach itself belies the true darkness of the film. Paradise is not something that you get for free and the cost is not something that a man like Richard is capable foreseeing. Violence is all around but, it is always a joke or a minor inconvenience. Last among the obvious problems with the film is the digital effects. With one exception, all of the effects shots fall flat.

There are few directors that can do atmosphere as well as
Danny Boyle. He does not try to maintain a mood instead, he puts the viewer in the ever changing world that he creates. Boyle is a man that has a gift for putting the viewer in the mind of his characters. Even in his misses, you can feel his hand.
8/10

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