Leonardo DiCaprio, half-naked and wet. There's really no need to try and sell me any further. I'm in. Directed by Danny Boyle and written by John Hodge. That's just icing on the cake.

I'm only being partially facetious, of course. Sure, I love DiCaprio. What gay guy doesn't? And Danny Boyle is an awesome director. But if this movie sucked I would say so. I really didn't care for Boyle's "A Life Less Ordinary." But, truth be told, this is a pretty decent flick. DiCaprio has a hard time pulling off some of the things his character is supposed to convey, but overall his performance is quite good. And Boyle and Hodge fasten an interesting and intriguing film that is part "Apocalypse Now" (DiCaprio's touring frat boy experiences a Kurtz-like arc) and part "Lord of the Flies." And let us not forget, there is also the "deserted island used by drug lords" plot line, a B-movie staple since the early 80's. Therefore, of course, there is also some sex and drugs and rock and roll thrown in for good measure. The score by Angelo Badalamenti may be the obvious work of the composer (and by that I mean his style is recognizable) but Boyle throws in a few pop style dance tracks to keep the youngsters interested and bopping. Meanwhile, DiCaprio falls for a French photographer (female, damn it) and humps Tilda Swinton (of "Orlando" fame). He also finds time to smoke a joint or two, first with Robert Carlyle and then with some other surfer teens on the loose in the islands.

Speaking of co-stars, no one here comes close to outshining DiCaprio. Even Carlyle can't come close, albeit only allowed to try in a small role. And Swinton, never one of my favorites, seems pretty incapable of generating anything here. She does deliver one drop-dead funny line in bed with Little Leo, but that's about it.

So, DiCaprio swaggers around shirtless a lot. He wears short pants and towels and other clothes wrapped seductively around his waist, the tops of his hips exposed to distract us from any flaw we might find in the film. There's really almost no need, his acting is consummate. But it is Hodge's script that really sells the film. While the narration is a tactic that doesn't work for him here (unlike "Trainspotting"), he only includes a few bits. His script generally relies on wonderful storytelling that shows more with simple scenes and moments than with complex plotlines. Hodge's script, based of course on Alex Garland's novel, may take some contrived turns here and there, but mainly it sticks to following the story of Richard (DiCaprio). The only scene that really doesn't work is one where Richard imagines himself in a video game. It's ridiculousness made it stick out like a sore thumb. *

"The Beach" as you would imagine, and may have noticed from the advertisements about it, is gorgeous to look at. Boyle films the piece with a visual flair that seems new and inventive. His camera often floats up from the Earth and lingers in the clouds, or even ascends into outer space. Because "The Beach," in the end, is about life on Earth. It's a sociological examination of existence on the planet, no less. And it tackles subjects as complex and abstruse as man's inability to make life on Earth a paradise. It also delves into man's true congenital nature and his ability to return to a savage state with seeming ease if the right circumstances prevail. In actuality, "The Beach" is more than just DiCaprio wet and half-naked. That's really the icing on the cake here. The cake's pretty damn good too.

More of Lodger's reviews indexed alphabetically! Just click your favorite letter to go there.

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

HOME

In Association with:

Posters From!

Get your Movies

Please Visit