Adaptation of Alex Garland's best-selling novel about a backpacker not yet ready for the responsibility of society.
Danny Boyle's film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Richard, a free-spirited traveller who ends up in Bangkok. Frustrated by the sameness of the western experience in the city, he is intrigued when traveller Daffy tells him of an island paradise. Equipped with a map, and accompanied by French couple Francoise and Etienne, the trio eventually find the titular beach, a commune benevolently ruled by Sal. But as Richard finds out, the real world, in all its violent forms, has a habit of intruding on even the most perfect idyllic of places.
Upon release The Beach recieved largely negative reviews, though it did prove to be a success at the box office, thanks largely to DiCaprio's fame at the time, just two years after the phenomal success of Titanic.
Although not one of Boyle's better directorial efforts, this is still a decent attempt at apaapting Garland's cult novel and is not nearly as bad as some of the intial reviews would have you believe.
The Beach is a Film programme that first aired in 2000 and has been classified a 15 certificate.
