I enjoyed the first half, even two thirds of this movie. It seems to set up an interesting reflection on the fallacy of 'splendid isolation' and 'ignorance is bliss' ways of approaching the unpleasant things about the world as represented by the grimy, noisy nightlife of Bangkok.
However, it never quite delivers on this and with the final act fails to stick the landing in terms of hammering home the (what seemed to be) point that burying your head in the sand (no pun intended) is not sustainable and indulging in selfishness/hedonism will always ultimately hurt other people. There are also some weird non-sequiturs with some very dated graphics that really age the movie, although I appreciate they were trying to draw parallels between the pitfalls of becoming lost in virtual worlds and the paradise of the eponymous beach.
Most of the performances are fine, although Di Caprio's screaming can get a little annoying at times. Another issue is the fact that, despite being set in Thailand, the only Thai characters we see are presented as violent thugs or stereotypically happy tourist workers - I don't know if that was sort of the point; that only wealthy, (mostly) white westerners were the ones luxuriating in the 'paradise' of the beach, but it feels more like an oversight. Overall it's fine, but no need to go out of your way to watch this one.
However, it never quite delivers on this and with the final act fails to stick the landing in terms of hammering home the (what seemed to be) point that burying your head in the sand (no pun intended) is not sustainable and indulging in selfishness/hedonism will always ultimately hurt other people. There are also some weird non-sequiturs with some very dated graphics that really age the movie, although I appreciate they were trying to draw parallels between the pitfalls of becoming lost in virtual worlds and the paradise of the eponymous beach.
Most of the performances are fine, although Di Caprio's screaming can get a little annoying at times. Another issue is the fact that, despite being set in Thailand, the only Thai characters we see are presented as violent thugs or stereotypically happy tourist workers - I don't know if that was sort of the point; that only wealthy, (mostly) white westerners were the ones luxuriating in the 'paradise' of the beach, but it feels more like an oversight. Overall it's fine, but no need to go out of your way to watch this one.