The Beach

I’d heard nothing but bad things about “The Beach,” from people who’d apparently come to it expecting “Titanic II.” It’s certainly not that, but it’s also not a terrible movie. The problem is that it’s the “Trainspotting” director giving us a story that’s an odd hybrid of “Six Nights, Seven Days” and “Trainspotting” — with a contempt for ordinary travelers that even the movie eventually acknowledges if fatuous — that veers off unexpectedly to become “Lord of the Flies” or “Apocalypse Now.”

Which isn’t to say that there’s nothing good in the movie. The setting is breathtaking, and many of the performances — by a who’s who of indie film regulars — are extremely well-done. Even many of the story and directorial conceits work well, most notably a videogame sequence late in the film.

But ultimately, the movie’s lack of focus makes for a frustrating experience. There are flashes of a great film in here, although too often they’re flashes borrowed from other, better movies.

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