Here is another of those films that got panned by critics all over the place, but I liked the movie and thought it was unfairly criticized.<br /><br />Two things are not up for debate: the film is entertaining and the cinematography is gorgeous.<br /><br />Leonardo DiCaprio's lead character is not particularly likable, but that's nothing new for him. He's good at playing the boyish, cocky immature type. He's also good at narration, which he provides here, as he has in a number of other films. In fact, I wish there were more of it in here.<br /><br />French actress Virginie Ledoyen is a new face to me, and a pretty one. I found her intriguing, and not just because of her face Actually, all the characters were pretty darn interesting in this film and you get a varied group.<br /><br />The scenery from Thailand is magnificent. By the way, "the beach" that's in this film really exists, just as it's seen here. The story is interesting, too, for the full two hours. My only complaint was that they might have toned down the language, particularly with all the f-words.<br /><br />Don't listen to those national critics who blasted this. I think you'll be entertained.