Does anyone understand The Beach, cause I don't! (1 Viewer)

[Mick Wright]

Alex Garland's The Tesseract is a very good read as well

Damn straight!
Anyway my thoughts on The Beach: the book was about (imo) how American popular culture has invaded the entire world. It continues the ideas of Hearts of Darkness and Apocalypse Now (i.e. bringing religion, democracy, or some other western institution to a primitive world). However in The Beach we've already destroyed the world in a more benign fashion, with our pop culture . Casting an American in the movie was salt in the wound for fans of the book (in which Richard is appropriately British). The point was completely lost. Of course a Yank is obsessed with our crap!

 

[Ricardo C]

"I'm an American. I think in miles, not kilometers" (or words to that effect.)

That's when I began to hate the flick.

 

[dave_brogli]

I thought the movie kinda sucked but those Pot scenes were wicked!! I would love to be there.....

 

[JohnS]

This was one terrible movie.

What was Danny Boyle thinking of.

He directed such a great film(Trainspotting) then goes on to this nonsense of a film.

The arcade game style of the movie, is when it really lost it.

 

[MichaelAW]

Actually, JohnS, after Trainspotting Boyle made the execrable A Life Less Ordinary before making The Beach.

While I'm in the minority of liking The Beach, I'm sure anyone would consider it a step up from A Life Less Ordinary. Neither, of course, compare to Trainspotting (or Shallow Grave).