Every self-respecting movie fan is familiar with the contents of the cult movie about the young American Richard, who escaped from the benefits of civilization to the beach of a paradise island. Moreover, not every more modern road movie can compete with the movie "Beach" with Leonardo DiCaprio in terms of the fantastic landscapes of Thailand.
Synopsis
The 2000 adventure drama The Beach has now been shot by legendary director Danny Boyle based on the eponymous bestselling novel by A. Garland. Adapted a literary work to the realities of cinema screenwriter John Hodge. Reviews of the movie "Beach" with DiCaprio are contradictory, MPAA rating - R, IMDb: 6.60. The filming process took place on the beach of Maya Bay in Phiphi Lei Island. The picture received several nominations. The director, for example, was nominated for the Berlin Film Festival Award, and the lead actor was nominated for Golden Raspberries in the Worst Actor role. This fact is mentioned by all reviews of the film "Beach".
Brief description of plot plot
Tired of everyday routine, the main character - a young US resident Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio) - in search of a non-trivial vacation goes to exotic Thailand. In one of the local hotels, he meets an eccentric man, calling himself Duffy (Robert Carlisle), who, talking about the "real paradise" - a beach on a secret island, passes a map to Richard. Intrigued American decides to share a secret with a young couple of tourists from France - Etienne (Guillaume Canet) and Francoise (Virginie Ledoyen). Together, the heroes set off on the route indicated on the map. As a result of short wanderings, they find themselves on a neighboring island, from which they reach the destination by swimming. On the desired island, the trinity discovers a large-scale hemp plantation, guarded by local Thais, armed to the teeth. Without making contact, tourists go deeper and stumble upon representatives of the original commune. The community was organized by their predecessors, the same foreign tourists. The group is led by the ambitious woman Sal (Tilda Swinton). The three newcomers, trying to find their place in this, at first glance, utopia, do not notice how it is transformed into dystopia.
Thriller components
The few authors who posted reviews of the film "The Beach" (2000) position it as a thriller. Although, according to the structure, the picture is presented as a current action, accompanied by off-screen monologues of the central character who survived the events he is talking about. This presentation of the material is characteristic of many exemplary projects of the thriller genre. On the whole, such an author’s technique is justified and appropriate, the narrative is developing boring, each time the audience’s interest is fueled by the realization that the utopian paradise is adjacent to the plantations of the Thai drug court. Also, critics in reviews of the film “Beach” emphasize that the director is happy to condemn and ridicule his heroes: an escape from reality to a drug dope, the desire of immature people to build their own society (unconditionally doomed to failure), patronage of the “common mother” ( character Swinton).
Test motive
Director D. Boyle, screenwriter D. Hodge and one of the lead actors Robert Carlyle before “The Beach” had experience working together during the creation of the cult hit “On the Needle,” which also caused a stormy audience reaction, including disgust and irritation. Therefore, the presence in the credits of the aforementioned filmmakers, according to reviews of the film "Beach", should have set the audience on the perception of another youth story about the search for a drug paradise away from civilization. However, despite the presence of all the prerequisites of “otvyaznoe cinema” about the next generation of hippy young people who are not enough to “fly away” from reality, and can’t wait to visit one of the most inaccessible corners of the planet, the motive for personality testing by the possibility of one’s own death and murder remains dominant in the project.
Escape from the Titanic
The year 2000 is considered a turning point in the career of Leonardo DiCaprio. The actor after an extended series of roles of romantic youths appeared in the drama of Danny Boyle. The role of Richard, according to cinema experts, in reviews of the film "Beach", returned the artist to the track of serious cinema.
Initially, it was planned to invite Ewan McGregor to play the leading role, but the production group made adjustments to the casting, replacing the actor with Leonardo DiCaprio, since he was at the top of his popularity after the Triumph of the Titanic during this period. The controversial issue caused a sharp deterioration in the relationship between Boyle and McGregor, which practically ceased to communicate.
Reviews of the film "The Beach" with Leonardo tend to interpret the figure of a key character as a young man, looking for the meaning of existence, his place in life and a gamut of new sensations in hidden corners of Thailand. The viewer sees the character wandering through the maze of Bangkok streets, visiting well-known tourist attractions and eager to get to new unexplored places - this, in principle, should be an active holiday. Of course, one could do without a scene of a shark attack and an attack by thugs, but it costs a lot to find a place of peace and strength, where no one can disturb.
Claims to the Contractor
By the way, the film “The Beach” with Leonardo DiCaprio received not comforting reviews regarding the artist’s skill. Some filmmakers consider the film one of the biggest failures in the career of the then very young, but gifted actor. Before the Boyle project, he had already caused a flurry of negative reaction for participating in the film “The Man in the Iron Mask”, in which he embodied the twin brothers on the screen. This role brought Leonardo the first, but the only Golden Raspberry for the worst on-screen duet with himself. His work in “The Beach” was also nominated for the anti-award that John Travolta received as a result. Many film critics characterized the fiercely goggling eyes in the frame, excessively overacting, unnatural in the role of Richard performer as a copy of Calvin Candy or Jordan Belford.
In an authorial manner
“The Beach” The critics' reviews qualify as a project created in the traditional manner of the director: clip visualization, voiceover, a groovy soundtrack and an abundance of club compositions accompanied by musical accompaniment. The tape was shot beautifully, this fact is beyond doubt. The plot in certain moments noticeably sags, but there is an explanation for everything. Life is sometimes monotonous and boring, and even staying in “paradise” is no exception. When viewing it, it’s hard to get away from the impression that the picture is an amazing cocktail from the “Blue Lagoon” and a naive adventure action with oriental surroundings, like the Soviet films “Mysteries of Madame Wong” and “Pirates of the XX Century”.
Project Advantages
Most reviewers attribute the advantages of the tape to a chic catchy soundtrack that is unable to play badly Tilda Swinton and juicy visualization. Individual images can compete with the pictures of travel agencies catalogs or serve as a screensaver for the PC desktop for those who are crazy about the sea, beach and jungle. Of course, this is not the best feature for a full-length film, claiming a certain value. In 2000, Danny Boyle did not manage to hit the jackpot, earn huge popularity among the audience and high praise of specialists. But in front of him is “28 days later” and “Frankenstein” with Benedict Cumberbatch - at the moment the best films in the creative career of the director.
Interesting Facts
The bay, in which the shooting process of the “Beach” was launched, was not completely isolated at all, so during the post-production period additional hills were added to the picture.
The card, which at the beginning of the narrative passes to the main character Duffy, was personally painted by the author of the novel Alex Garland.
During the filming of one episode, the boat, in which there were seven members of the crew, director and Leonardo DiCaprio, broke down and almost drowned.