mariacallas
Bluelight Crew
The Beach (2000)
Can I please have a poll?
I noticed not too many Americans or Europeans really mention this. I also notice that it is one of those either/or movies,...either you love it or you hate it. The reviews I've read remind me of another movie that is essentialy also an example of love/hate...Vanilla Sky. I have not read the novel (by Alex Garland) this movie is based on, and I guess thats a good thing...as it didnt hinder me from enjoying the movie on its own merits without constantly having to compare (altho I hear the book is a very good read and the movie does not do it justice.
) I plan to read it in the future tho as it's gotten excellent reviews.
Back to the movie... i absolutely f*cking LOVE this movie. Danny Boyles (Trainspotting) direction is absolutely gorgeous, with magnificent photography and a beautiful score to match ( one of my most favorite soundtracks ever.) Beyond the aesthetics tho, The Beach' is a seductively lucid exploration of the deep dangers that lie behind sensual pleasure and the concept of 'paradise'.Having grown up in South East Asia my whole life and actually having been to Thailand and the beach in the movie (and a couple others that rival it in beauty and perfection) , I can truly say that to the uninitiated, this film shows a very interesting and, at times, gripping look at the dark side of the bright side of life where paradise is not always what it seems.
My only minor annoyance is the filthiness and squalor with how Bankok was shown in the earlier scenes...it was a bit exaggrated, its definatly not as grimy as the director would like foreigners to believe. lol. But I guess he made up for that by showing how stunning the beach can be in comparison....and the movie really does it justice.
If you would like to see a good adaptation of beach Utopia gone awry I'd suggest watching Lord of the Flies first
And after that I recommend this movie to anybody wlling to use suspension of disbelief, sit back, relax and just enjoy the idyllic ride and the movie for what is. If you don't like it you probably just dont get it. (again, like Vanilla SKy!)
Everytime I see this I still get butterflies in my stomach and a vaguely nostalgic feeling (even if i live in "beach world!") I can't explain it.
PS. Watching this on DVD is light years better than that first time I saw this in the movies...its definitely worth renting/buying.
Can I please have a poll?

I noticed not too many Americans or Europeans really mention this. I also notice that it is one of those either/or movies,...either you love it or you hate it. The reviews I've read remind me of another movie that is essentialy also an example of love/hate...Vanilla Sky. I have not read the novel (by Alex Garland) this movie is based on, and I guess thats a good thing...as it didnt hinder me from enjoying the movie on its own merits without constantly having to compare (altho I hear the book is a very good read and the movie does not do it justice.

Back to the movie... i absolutely f*cking LOVE this movie. Danny Boyles (Trainspotting) direction is absolutely gorgeous, with magnificent photography and a beautiful score to match ( one of my most favorite soundtracks ever.) Beyond the aesthetics tho, The Beach' is a seductively lucid exploration of the deep dangers that lie behind sensual pleasure and the concept of 'paradise'.Having grown up in South East Asia my whole life and actually having been to Thailand and the beach in the movie (and a couple others that rival it in beauty and perfection) , I can truly say that to the uninitiated, this film shows a very interesting and, at times, gripping look at the dark side of the bright side of life where paradise is not always what it seems.
My only minor annoyance is the filthiness and squalor with how Bankok was shown in the earlier scenes...it was a bit exaggrated, its definatly not as grimy as the director would like foreigners to believe. lol. But I guess he made up for that by showing how stunning the beach can be in comparison....and the movie really does it justice.
If you would like to see a good adaptation of beach Utopia gone awry I'd suggest watching Lord of the Flies first

Everytime I see this I still get butterflies in my stomach and a vaguely nostalgic feeling (even if i live in "beach world!") I can't explain it.
PS. Watching this on DVD is light years better than that first time I saw this in the movies...its definitely worth renting/buying.

Trust me, it's paradise. This is where the hungry come to feed. From mine it's a generation that's circles the globe and searches something we haven't tried before. So never refuse an invitation, never resist the unfamiliar, never fail to be polite and never outstay the welcome. Just keep your mind open and suck in the experience. And if it hurts, you know what? It's probably worth it.
And me, I still believe in paradise. But now at least I know its not some place you can look for, cause its not where you go. Its how you feel for a moment in your life when your apart of something, and if you find that moment... it lasts forever...