2000, R, 118 minutes

What is paradise? Does it really exist? These are the very questions at the core of The Beach, and the film makes for an interesting exploration. Most of us spend a majority of our time working or going to school, talking on the phone, shopping for clothes and food, depositing our paychecks at the bank, writing movie reviews on the internet (sorry, I couldn't resist) -- but what if there was a place where none of that was necessary? A place where you could spend most of your time in a state of relaxation and fun?

Based on the novel by Alex Garland, The Beach follows a twenty-something guy named Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio), an American over-seas in search of something different. Fresh off a plane to Bangkok, he sets out to discover new experiences. He stays at a cheap hotel and shares a bizarre conversation with his intrusive neighbor Daffy (Robert Carlyle), who ends up leaving him a map to a secret beach that supposedly no one else knows about. Richard befriends his other two neighbors, Ettiene (Guillaume Canet) and his beautiful French girlfriend Francoise (Virginie Ledoyen), and they quickly set off to Thailand in search of paradise. The map turns out to be real, leading them to a small island that certainly seems like heaven on Earth, but it might not be. They join a small community of other travelers who were already living there, and they're desperate to stop more people from discovering the place. As in any movie, trouble quickly ensues.

The one thing The Beach certainly has going for it is its premise. The idea of discovering a hidden paradise and then trying to keep other people away so they can't exploit it is about as intriguing as a movie can get. The execution isn't nearly as satisfying, which explains why many critics trashed this film, but it's still somewhat easy to enjoy as long as you can ignore your expectations. There are a lot of entertaining scenes and situations, and also quite a bit of humor and suspense. In a few places the story becomes a bit muddled, but to me it was all part of the experience. Unfortunately, if the story had been reworked a little, The Beach could have been a spectacular film, but in the end it didn't come together quite like it should have (and it definitely had the potential). However, despite its flaws, I still enjoyed it.

By the end of the film, Richard doesn't seem to have very many redeeming qualities left. The fact that he isn't always the nicest person might bother some viewers, however, I thought it made the story less predictable. He often lies and weasels his way through certain situations, which doesn't necessarily make him a good person, but it does make him seem more like a real person. I sit through so many movies (good and bad) predicting what the main character will do and when he or she will do it, but The Beach kept me on my toes. I like the fact that DiCaprio took on a role where his character had just as many flaws as positive traits, rather than repeating his "I can do no wrong" persona from Titanic.

Probably the biggest star in this film (other than DiCaprio), is the stunning and beautiful cinematography. Director Danny Boyle and cinematographer Darius Khondji work well together, shooting a film that is quite effective in its portrayal of a tropical paradise, and parts of it border on the surreal. The cove where this film is located really does look like one of the most heaven-like places on Earth, and the fact that a few Thailand environmental groups accused the filmmakers of trashing the place is absurd (why would they destroy the area when they want it to look great?).

As for Leonardo DiCaprio's performance -- he really does carry this film. There are a few parts where he acts like an ass, which was actually a great aspect of his performance because people do act that way when they're secluded. After seeing this film, even the large group of Leo-bashers out there will probably have to admit that he's at least a decent actor. The Beach's supporting cast was also solid. Virginie Ledoyen was great in her part, playing a sharp and witty French girl instead of the typical naive bimbo that you might expect. Robert Carlyle nailed the part of a man gone crazy, and everyone else was sufficient in their roles -- never trying to out-do DiCaprio because essentially this is his movie.

If you want to enjoy The Beach, you will -- and if you want to hate it, you will. It doesn't actually provide a definitive answer to the question it raises (because there is no definitive answer), but it does leave us with the sentiment that paradise can only exist in a context and will never last forever. The Beach is more pop culture than social commentary, so if you watch this film looking for extreme depth -- you're not going to find it. I mostly recommend it to moviegoers under 35 and fans of Leonardo.