The first time I saw this film, I completely despised it. After seeing Danny Boyle's masterpiece, Trainspotting (1996) and reading the source novel (by Alex Garland), I decided to give it another chance. A second viewing was a good idea. By no means is this a masterpiece, but it's not the bomb it's made out to be either. The dialogue is the most damaging aspect, and it is undoubtedly weak. However, the story is compelling and the leading man (Leonardo DiCaprio) is as brilliant as ever.<br /><br />The Beach is about an American explorer named Richard (DiCaprio). He is a hedonist, an outsider, and a fun-loving kind of guy. When he hears about a secret island paradise from a strange Scottish madman, he jumps on the opportunity to go there. He invites a French couple he has met in his travels, with the possible hope of getting somewhere romantically with the woman.<br /><br />This is vastly different from the Richard that Alex Garland wrote in the source material. Garland's Richard is a polite, borderline selfless British traveler with dark hair. In other words, he's the polar opposite of Leonardo DiCaprio's self-involved adulterer. This isn't a drawback. Too many people draw novel-to-film comparisons, when the two mediums are far too different to be doing so. The Beach is a brilliant novel, and justifiably a cult classic. The film adaptation is compelling in its own respect.<br /><br />The introduction is marvelous  a frenzied, gorgeously shot exploration of Bangkok on New Year's Eve, accompanied by Richard's introductory narration. Leonardo DiCaprio is the master of voice-overs, and The Beach is no exception. He captures the enthusiasm and wonderment of this character perfectly, and his voice is as interesting and expressive as any great piece of music.<br /><br />When the opening titles are complete, we are under the impression that we're in for something great. The relationship between Richard and his new-found friends (the French couple) is very badly written, and a lot of the dialogue comes across awkwardly. The meat of this film is heavily flawed, as John Hodge didn't quite seem to know how to structure the story.<br /><br />The weak second act builds up to a conclusion that's as strong as the introduction. Richard is overcome by an addiction to compulsive lies, and he is eventually forced into isolation. His mind has been twisted as a result of his obsession with video games and Vietnam War films, and he begins to lose his mind. Leonardo DiCaprio's performance is the most riveting here after the heroic artist he played in Titanic (1997), it's surprising to witness his portrait of this pot-smoking brat.<br /><br />Although the script overall is the weakest link here, Richard is an intriguing character. He is completely immersed in the bliss of his own world, and he is seemingly ignorant to the effect he has on others. He likes smoking lots of weed, playing lots of Game Boy, and pretending that problems don't exist. Only an actor as talented as DiCaprio could keep us interested in this man.<br /><br />Thanks to the outstanding lead and Danny Boyle's directorial finesse, this movie ends up being a fascinating mess. The soundtrack is memorable, the photography is beautiful, and some of the vaguely examined themes are chilling. This should have been a masterpiece, but the screenplay is lacking where many of the other elements are not. I would certainly recommend watching it with an open mind, but it's far from a great film.