A provocative film about life

'The Beach' is a clever movie, talking about the bigger questions of life. Is there really paradise or perfection on this Earth? Can it be attained in this life? Is it something secular? All of these questions are tackled metaphorically, and, I must say, it is achieved rather well. The performances are strong, especially by DiCaprio; his finest performance, in my opinion, other than 'Titanic'. This is a refreshing movie that is different in every sense: the subject, cinematography and dialogue. The only thing that I found to be its downfall was that, on the larger scale, there isn't really any 'story', as it were, to the movie. Many things are left unexplained. Nevertheless, this one is still well worth a watch, if only for its magnificent scenery!