The Beach

Details

Rumours have existed for years about a "perfect" hidden beach somewhere off Thailand - an island paradise known only to a select few. One evening in Bangkok, Richard is handed a rough map by a spaced-out stranger staying in the same guesthouse, and he convinces a young French couple, Françoise and Étienne, to join him in tracking it down. Before leaving, Richard makes a copy of the map and leaves it behind, a small decision that will come back to haunt him.

After travelling by land and sea, they get close to their destination, only to find that no-one will take them to the island - it has supposedly been marked as a site of scientific interest. With the last leg blocked, they decide to take matters into their own hands and swim for it. Exhausted but exhilarated, they finally reach the shore and discover a breathtaking, untouched lagoon that seems almost too perfect to be real.

It doesn't take long for reality to intrude. The island is home to cannabis plantations guarded by trigger-happy Thai farmers, and outsiders are most definitely not welcome. When the trio finally makes contact with a hidden commune made up of travellers from all over the world, they're offered a place in their carefully managed "Eden" - complete with shared work, fishing and hunting, and an unspoken rule that the outside world stays outside.

But paradise is a delicate thing. When Richard returns to the mainland for supplies he crosses paths with other backpackers - including those who found the copied map - and despite his warnings they push ahead to find the beach for themselves. Their arrival begins to upset the fragile balance between the commune and the farmers, and as tensions rise, the dream of a secret utopia starts to crack under the weight of fear, jealousy and the simple fact that nothing this perfect can stay hidden for long.

Picture & Sound

The picture is tremendous with a high bit-rate throughout the film and no signs of artifacting or outlining. The scenery on the beach and island is truly stunning with a fabulous amount of detail and so much clarity you could almost have been there yourself. The sound is first rate with crystal clear dialogue in the centre channel and some imaginative use of the surround channels, especially during the early scenes in the city. However, it is the ambient jungle and ocean effects during the group's trip to the island which impressed me the most. The music score is also worth a mention with some cracking tunes, including the now classic All Saints track Pure Shores.

Menu & Extras

Although the menus are not animated, whenever a selection is made the next menu scrolls impressively into view. That said, the menu navigation feels a little sluggish and it can become mildly annoying after a while. Extras are decent, with the usual trailer and the All Saints video, plus a number of interesting deleted scenes and a director's commentary to keep the curious types happy.

Overall

If you put all the hype that went with the film aside - and the fact that if you've read Alex Garland's best-selling book you'll discover the plot in the latter half of the film goes totally AWOL, turning into a strange cross between Apocalypse Now and Lord of the Flies - it is still a really enjoyable watch. As the group find and enjoy their Eden they also, inevitably, start to destroy it. Whether Thailand will appreciate the inevitable wave of backpackers trying to track down this mythical beach is another question entirely.

Special features

• Director's Commentary
• Theatrical Trailer
• Music Video
• Deleted Scenes
• Cast and Crew Biographies
• Original Artwork