I love this movie so much

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Awesome Movie

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

It's just ok. Not terrible by any stretch of the imagination but no masterpiece either. DiCaprio is as strong as ever (and manages to look younger than he does in Titanic despite it being 3 years after) and the classic Danny Boyle trippyness makes its way through. The upbeat ending clashes with the rest of the film and in general it's rather tonally confused.

Danny Boyle's The Beach was an awful viewing experience for me and thinking back on it is just as unpleasant, so naturally I don't want to spend a lot of time talking about it.The reason that The Beach is so awful is because it is so pretentious and full of itself. It gives a painfully obvious and blatant expression on a social commentary that feels so forced. The Beach is also extremely boring. I was patiently waiting for the movie to pick up, but after an hour of pure nothing, I gave up hope and assumed that the rest of the film would be just as uneventful. Sadly, I was right. The Beach feels like a 2-hour long Expedia commercial. The music is cheap and terribly cheesy and the cinematography is sometimes interesting, but mostly just dull.Leonardo DiCaprio did give an entertaining performance even though he did overact quite a bit. Tilda Swinton wasn't bad either, but the rest of the cast is just so forgettable and boring that it even weighs down these two characters. Robert Carlyle was one of the few redeemable aspects of The Beach. His character was utterly mad and it seemed that he loved playing this character, which made him a blast to watch.The story is painfully slow. We have to endure long stretches of Leo's character expressing his obsession for a girl he barely knows, then we are suddenly treated to a horrifically graphic shark attack scene. The tone of The Beach is never established. Most of the movie is extremely depressing and generally uncomfortable to watch, but then the movie ends on a gleefully happy note as if nothing bad even happened.The best way I can explain The Beach is that it is a confused, hyper mess of a film that tackles a social commentary so blatantly obvious that it comes off grossly pretentious. And any time Danny Boyle tries to have fun, it comes off as just awkward. While The Beach does have a passionate cult following, I simply cannot find enjoyment in the film myself. It's dull, pretentious and just messy. I respect Danny Boyle as a film maker but I really don't know what he was hoping to achieve with this one. I'm just grateful that the whole experience was completely forgettable. Another trip to this mind- numbing "paradise" wouldn't be good for my sanity.

I really enjoyed this film! The action takes place in Thailand on a hidden island with incredible landscapes. The plot is very original and stunning. However, it's a little too long at the beginning. The love story is typical but stays watchable because it's not overwhelming. The cast is very attractive with Leonardo Di Caprio and the others excellent actors who are absolutely convincing and believable. The music isn't unforgettable but stays listenable and reminds me to The See's Tooth at a sequence. It creates an effect very gripping. There is a real message behind the film about our society: it is better to get a hidden life; or live at the same rhythm as society and accept its choices?

The Beach (2000): Dir: Danny Boyle / Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tilda Swinton, Robert Carlyle, Virginie Ledoyan, Guillaume Canet: Intriguing film until one sees through its phony advertizing and dreary writing. Title regards opportunity and freedom, which is something the characters believe they've found until the fine print reveals unexpected dangers. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a drifter who is given a map to a paradise island. He ventures to the island and encounters people who made it their home. Lame subplots include shark attacks, romantic elements, and a dope crop. Director Danny Boyle cannot sort out the mess and hardly capitalizes on his success with Trainspotting. Ravishing production and photography are an asset. DiCaprio goes half way with his performance. He gains possession of this map and then inhabits another culture or lifestyle as well as romance two women but he goes through unexplained personality lapses in the third act that make little sense. Tilda Swinton is intriguing as an islander until she basically becomes a romantic prop. Robert Carlyle appears briefly with the map before he kills himself in a drunken state. Virginie Ledoyan and her boyfriend, played by Guillaume Canet accompany DiCaprio before also becoming a romantic prop situation. It addresses the perfect fantasy but as a film it is no fantasy and certainly no day at the beach. Score: 5 ½ / 10