The Beach
2000 Directed by Danny Boyle
Synopsis
Somewhere on this planet it must exist.
British director Danny Boyle, known for the cult movie Trainspotting, makes a movie out of the bestseller and debut novel The Beach by Alex Garland.
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Film #2 of @Drive - You Know what to do.
"My name is Richard. So what else do you need to know? Stuff about my family, or where I'm from? None of that matters. Not once you cross the ocean and cut yourself loose, looking for something more beautiful, something more exciting and yes, I admit, something more dangerous." - Richard
This has some serious Boyle trademarks; a millennial techno soundtrack, stunning cinematography, unconventional shots. But then again, this is unlike anything he's ever done before and has ever done since. Not one to be pinned down to a particular genre, this is new territory, even for Boyle. It's a tropical adventure and a hallucinatory experience, but this is almost…
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A story of materialism, desire and betrayal set in paradise.
Co-incidentally, these themes had reared their ugly heads before even one frame was shot. Originally a vehicle for director Danny Boyle's muse Ewan McGregor, after a life less ordinary tanked, 20th Century Fox didn't want to take a chance that the Beach would follow suit.
Rumor has it that Fox said they would stump up more cash for the budget if Boyle dumped McGregor, cast a stellar star name and change the lead characters nationality from British (as in the novel by Alex Garland) to American.
Enter the biggest star in the world (at that time)- Leo DiCaprio, who could have taken any gig he wanted after the behemoth Titanic…
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Oh do fuck off.
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It was like watching an episode of Lost, if the survivors were stoned and the Others were Cannabis growing Thai's with guns.
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'I just feel like everyone tries to do something different, but you always wind up doing the same damn thing.'
Danny Boyle is one of my favourite directors, however, he always tends to suffer the same problems in every film, because he always has to completely change the tone in the third act.
Now, usually I am cool with this change, heck, I love 28 Days Later, Sunshine, Trance and pretty much every other Danny Boyle film ever made, but in The Beach is where the change in tone (for the first time ever) really annoyed the living crap out of me.
The movie is a fairly interesting drama for about and hour-and-a-half, but then it decides that it is…
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for some reason I thought this movie was leo rolling around on a beach with a model in a waterfall. turns out leo plays a douchebag american traveller who goes to thailand and ruins everyone's fun.
including mine.
1 star because tilda swinton.
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'I just feel like everyone tries to do something different, but you always wind up doing the same damn thing.'
Danny Boyle is one of my favourite directors, however, he always tends to suffer the same problems in every film, because he always has to completely change the tone in the third act.
Now, usually I am cool with this change, heck, I love 28 Days Later, Sunshine, Trance and pretty much every other Danny Boyle film ever made, but in The Beach is where the change in tone (for the first time ever) really annoyed the living crap out of me.
The movie is a fairly interesting drama for about and hour-and-a-half, but then it decides that it is…
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di caprio smokes weed everyday
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Film #2 of @Drive - You Know what to do.
"My name is Richard. So what else do you need to know? Stuff about my family, or where I'm from? None of that matters. Not once you cross the ocean and cut yourself loose, looking for something more beautiful, something more exciting and yes, I admit, something more dangerous." - Richard
This has some serious Boyle trademarks; a millennial techno soundtrack, stunning cinematography, unconventional shots. But then again, this is unlike anything he's ever done before and has ever done since. Not one to be pinned down to a particular genre, this is new territory, even for Boyle. It's a tropical adventure and a hallucinatory experience, but this is almost…
-
Well *this* has not aged well at all. Or maybe I haven't. I suppose there's some shriveled part of me that must have responded more favorably once to the notion of privileged young idiots getting all Lord of the Flies to bad trance-pop, but now everything about it grates. Maybe I'm just disgruntled because it got that goddamn Moby song stuck in my head. Anyway, DiCaprio is outmatched by the material, such as it is, not to mention Tilda S. Also, the orchestral score drips drippiness in a way I think the movie would rather not. Oy.
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A very adventerous story with beautiful scenery but weak execution.. still a decent film..
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Good story, screwed up towards the end.
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I can't help but wonder 'what if' Ewan McGregor hadn't been callously dumped by Boyle in favour of the 'so hot right then DiCaprio'. Still a very good film. Some of the artistic choices become a little bit of a distraction at times but I find that fun about Danny Boyle movies. Even though not all of his decisions work he's always trying new approaches. His films always feel fresh. The location is stunning (even if the beach was spruced up with temporary trees) and the music adds a genuine sense of wonder and adventure. Some advice, don't read the book first!
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Unpredictable and random Boyle once again puts his stap on his work. The story is great; as an idea or the book must have been epic. There's so much going on. There's the beach, the trip, what's there, the shark attack, the demise of the characters the ending. It's a rollercoster. Spent Dosnt it feel like this? It's as flat as a pancake. It's good, what's going on is good it's just not particularly interesting. Leo is young, but good. The CGI is young, but not so good. Boyle got better. This Is a good story with a poor delivery. As I said there wasn't much going on in terms of what's interesting. Luckily, regardless of his changing topics Boyles style is interesting. And this is swimming in it.
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This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.