A part

(Written a decade ago, at a time when it was fashionable among "film buffs" to ridicule DiCaprio, who for many years carried on his pretty boy legacy after the premiere of Titanic). The general fad of Di Caprio bashing has thankfully passed me by, and so I enjoyed this likeable film without judgement, unlike many of my friends. An interesting story with a deeper message, a very attractive setting and a great soundtrack. Many people didn't even want to see it on the dubious principle of "because that idiot is there". Their mistake. (2003.05.11)

It's a reflection on people, about who we are and what we are willing to do for our lifestyle. About morality, fleeting feelings of happiness and lying to ourselves that we were actually doing it for the greater good. Garland's subject walks untrodden island paths in the shoes of a dim-witted, young-faced American, Leonardo DiCaprio, who destroys relationships and a community that was looking for a better life because it was bored in the real world. The scenes with Robert Carlyle are a beautiful manifestation of the modern concept of madness. There’s not a single likeable character. (2022.10.09)

It's hard to say exactly how it happened, but I was completely absorbed by The Beach. And I avoided it for quite a long time because of its not so good reputation. I ended up liking Leonardo DiCaprio more than in many of his more recent films, and Danny Boyle (although he says he's not 100% satisfied with The Beach either) confirmed that he's a master of his craft, once again creating an almost surreal, gradually thickening and heart attack-esque atmosphere at the end. Of course - as always - with the help of an excellent soundtrack. And the film has a good idea. (2015.01.20)

Boyle is certainly a narrative innovator, the images and scenery he creates are beautiful to look at, and he manages to bring creativity to a teenage movie trip to a tropical island full of weed and horny women. If we look only at the direction, the original premise and the excellent soundtrack, the cult status of The Beach can’t surprise anyone, but if we take into account the development of the plot, its escalation, its emotional or psychological depth or the ideas arising from it, this exotic flick is nothing special at all. DiCaprio's character, who’s supposed to be the centre of the story, is strangely written, with motivations that become increasingly incomprehensible, an inner conflict that is ignited in a matter of moments, and even though all the problems are blamed on him, it's as if no one really cares in the end.... Fun flick, but its ambitions were clearly much higher. 65% (2015.12.04)