The Beach

Title: The Beach
Genre: Adventure / Romance
Duration: 120 minutes
Release Date: 11th February, 2000
Date of Viewing: 20th November, 2005
Venue: Home
U.S. Box Office: $39 million
Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: In an age when all sensation seems to come digitally via the cell phone, video screen, pager and Internet, a young American backpacker named Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio) yearns to experience something real. Arriving in Thailand with adventure on his mind, Richard rents a cheap hotel room in Bangkok where he meets an alluring French couple and Daffy (Robert Carlyle), an old traveler ravaged by years of sun and drug abuse. Rambling and paranoid, Daffy tells Richard a tale of a secret island which he claims is a real paradise on Earth. The next day Richard finds a hand-drawn map pinned to his door of the island decribed by Daffy. When he seeks out Daffy, he finds him dead with his wrists slashed. Richard promptly persuades the French couple to find the beach and its secret community of travelers whose lives, on the surface, appear perfect and peaceful. However, Richard will soon learn what he has found is no paradise.

My Review: This has got to be one of my all-time-fave movies. Couple of years ago when I was still stuck onto the ridiculous phone-line connection, I spent almost 18 months downloading a DVD version of this movie. And finally my patience paid. The direction and storyline is just too good... But the best part of the movie is its soundtrack - beautiful! Very few movies have this kinda superb electronic soundtrack and it just makes the movie more engrossing!

Not a big hit, this movie portrays a young traveller's desire to find something new, something beautiful, a paradise which everyone only dreams of - a beach island hidden from the sea, with pure white sand, clean glinting water and enough dope to smoke each day everyday for the rest of your life. And when he finally manages to get there with a French couple, he discovers a whole community of travellers settled there ... but he is yet to discover what the so-called paradise is really about!

And like always, I have to mention a bit about Virginie Ledoyen... she's hot is all I can say!

Website: http://www.thebeachmovie.com/

Extras: Virginie Ledoyen wallpapers