“Return to Paradise” – Great Movie

I watched a great movie the other night that was a bit of a suprise to me. It’s called “Return to Paradise” and was released in the late 90s. I don’t know how this one got by me when it was in theaters, but it did because I had never heard of it. (another reason why Netflix ROCKS: movie recommendations based on your rental history)

The movie stars Vince Vaughn, Anne Heche and Joaquin Phoenix. All of them are great (even Vaughn), but Joaquin is incredible. He was as convincing here as he was in Gladiator, only in a completely different direction.

I won’t give away too much, but the plot centers around 3 men that come together as they are all sowing their wild oats on a trip to Malaysia. They are all at a crossroads. During their trip, they buy a lot more hashish than they need. They go their separate ways, but one of them stays behind for a few hours and is caught by the police with the drugs. The amount of drugs in his possesion makes him guilty of drug trafficking. In Malaysia the penalty for such a crime is hanging.

While the one character is in a Malaysian prison awaiting his death, the other two characters have gone on with their lives back in the States unaware of what has happened. A lawyer played by Anne Heche tracks them down to tell them that if they return to Malaysia and claim their portion of the responsibility for the crime; they will all serve 3 years each in prison but save their friend from hanging. The story suddenly becomes a great (though clearly incomplete) Messianic analogy. This movie is more than that, but I think that undercurrent is what really struck a chord with me.

The movie also takes a hard look at the idea that you really don’t know the true makeup of someone’s character until it is adequately tested. People who seem to be strong and grounded in clearly defined morality can crumble and fall when the ground begins to shake beneath them.

I highly recommend this movie! It’s rated R because of the prison scenes, some occasional language and I believe some very brief nudity. (Don’t look to me to protect your conscience… choose for yourself!)

Here is a pivotal scene in the movie. If seeing stuff like this before you’ve seen the movie ruins it for you, don’t watch it! There aren’t any big spoilers here, but it is a pivotal moment in the movie. You won’t get some of the emotional impact from this scene because you don’t really know the characters yet.

Here Joaquin’s character realizes at least one of the two has come back for him and confesses that he wouldn’t have done the same. The self-sacrificing love of his friend not only humbles him, but makes him see his own internally depraved condition. He is a man that has been broken down to his real self and he hates what he sees.

It’s also great acting. Joaquin owns this character and Vaughn doesn’t try to compete with him, but acts just like most of us would in that moment.

If you’ve seen this (or if you rent it after this) let us know what you thought of the movie in the comments section below.
Enjoy…

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb5ySEokF4c[/video]

[tags]you tube, movies, reviews, Return to Paradise, Vince Vaughn, Anne Heche, Joaquin Phoenix, drama, prison, Malaysia, drugs, acting[/tags]