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119 reviews in total

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64 out of 67 people found the following review useful:
One of the most underrated movies of the past decade, 7 February 2003
Author: Ben Lee from Kidderminster, England

Return To Paradise is one of the best films you've never heard of. It was buried in the summer of 1998 to mostly positive reviews and was later unsuccessfully reinvented 9 months later here in the UK on the back of Psycho which also starred Vaughn and Heche. Its been unfairly treated by the now defunct Polygram as it is a quite incredible little drama with some superb performances and some moments of great power.

The premise is relatively simple. Three friends on holiday in Malaysia. Two leave. The police arrive and find hash where they were staying. The third is put in jail. Two years later a lawyer finds the two remaining men in New York and tells them that their friend was found guilty of trafficking. They must go back to share the punishment or he will die in 7 days.

Its a frightening dilemma and you can't help but ask yourself the same question. Would you go back? If one goes back they go to prison for 6 years. If both go they will have 3 years each. All of the arguments are put forward, making the answer not seem as clear as originally imagined.

The timeframe is made even tenser with titles reminding us of how many days are remaining. Vince Vaughn plays our hero who doesn't always act in the morally correct way we expect him to do. He doesn't immediately decide to go back, making us question if we would either. Vaughn gives the finest performance of his career as the not completely likeable 'Sheriff'. Anne Heche plays the increasingly desperate lawyer who will do anything to save her client from execution. And her desperation is made completely believable by Heche's multi-faceted performance.

And then Joaquin Phoenix plays the imprisoned Lewis who has little screen time but whenever he's on he totally captivates. His video message to his two friends is heartbreaking. There are numerous twists which serve to further the emotional capital which is placed in the conclusion.

And by the time the suspenseful court scene arrives, you will find yourself nervously hoping for a happy ending. Needless to say the film ends with a succession of unspeakably powerful scenes. Its hard to remember a film which I found as moving as this. It serves as a very poignant anti-drugs message. Its impact will stay with you for days, making it really quite unforgettable. Hunt this down. You will be richly rewarded.

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25 out of 27 people found the following review useful:
Paradise Found: A Lush, Intelligent Character-Driven Film, 20 October 2004
Author: ShelBaby (laneyroad@aol.com) from Massachusetts

This movie appeals on many levels... smartly written, with seductive cinematography, strong editing and acting throughout (with forays into brilliant). And, yes, the romantic sub-plot and un-"Hollywood" style ending DO make sense! Read on ...

(NO SPOILERS…)

Return to Paradise, a beautifully written, crafted and acted film is one of the few DVDs in my collection that I just keep coming back to.

The prologue in Malaysia begins during the credits and is worth the watch in itself. It grabs our interest, and establishes the dynamic between these three young men, who are off for a post-college fling before assuming their "real" lives. The music, hand-held camera effects, and MTV-style editing evoke the carelessness of youth, of a young man's idea of "Paradise".

Tony (played by David Conrad) is an opaque, friendly, architect/engineer who is Everyman in his pursuit of honor within the bounds of a satisfying, conventional life. Louis (Joachim Phoenix) – a gentle soul - whose plan is to stay in Southeast Asia and pursue Animal Rights ... and "Sheriff", played by Vince Vaughn - a tough, straight talking hustler from Brooklyn. It is Sheriff's journey that we stay with as the action moves over to America, then back to 'Paradise'.

We discover, along with the characters, what has happened to the friends since their idyll on Penang. When we rejoin Sheriff, it is a few years later. He is driving a limo, and living in a seedy NYC apartment, filled with books. He is on a path that stumbles as he irreverently, but wistfully, reaches for inner growth. We know enough about movies to know that SOMEthing interesting is about to happen to this good-looking guy. By the time the story wraps up, the character of Sheriff will have achieved an impressive depth of self-awareness, subtlety and tenderness that is a credit to the delicacy of Vaughn's acting in this piece.

Louis and, in his stead, Beth (Anne Heche), believe that greater things lie inside of Sheriff. In the prologue, Sheriff, brash and careless, teeters when Louis asks him (with confidence in Sheriff's core of selflessness) to join a fight to save the orangutan. Much later, faced with a corresponding request from the compelling and volubly erotic character that Heche creates, Sheriff uses his affair with Beth as a catalyst to reach for the nobility in his soul.

Things do not turn out as we (or they) expect. Character relationships reshuffle a bit near the end, but rather than being devices to surprise and tweak our emotions, these twists and turns of the plot help ensure that Sheriff's decisions are (as he tells his friend in a poignant jail cell meeting ) his own. Like Tony, Sheriff ultimately makes his choices, not on behalf of his friends ... but for himself.

The best thing about Return to Paradise is that there are no bad guys. A life 'hangs in the balance', but the competing forces are, as in the real world, created by the myriad of individuals all acting out their own interests with no real malice, yet perhaps without the purposeful empathy represented by the Louis character. We are absorbed by the compelling interplay between Beth, Sheriff, Tony, the Malaysian officials and MJ Major (the aggressive reporter played by Jada Pinkett-Smith in an acerbic, pivotal, cameo) all the way through to the final, cathartic, conclusion.

Don't miss this one.

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21 out of 25 people found the following review useful:
What Brokedown Palace should have been, 5 June 2002
Author: baybee from australia

Return to Paradise is what Brokedown Palace should have been. Joaquin Phoenix, David Conrad and Vince Vaughn are 3 friends on a 5 week holiday in Penang. Joaquin stays behind and the others come home. Forward 2 years later a young lawyer tracks down the other 2 and they find out that Joaquin's character has been in prison for the past 2 years and they have 8 years to decide whether to take their share of the blame.

Joaquin Phoenix is the heart and soul of this movie. His performance is so poignant and real, he has truly come a long way since the 80s.

Vince Vaughn and Anne Heche are brilliant in their roles especially Anne Heche, she really took her character to another level and it was sometimes heartbreaking as her performance was so real.

This is one movie to check out if you haven't seen it. I did not know about this movie until 2 years ago when I saw it on cable and after just watching Brokedown Palace I was skeptical as it was really bad and I was so surprised when I watched Return to Paradise as it wasn't toned down or glossed over and all the principle actors were fantastic.

If you haven't seen it you certainly don't know what you're missing.

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10 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
Riveting performances; unexpected twists!, 12 December 1999

Author: pied from Ohio

This well acted, intense drama is worth seeing on two counts:

1) The excellent performances by Lewis (Phoenix) and Beth (Ann Heche)

2) The uncompromising and original plot.

Three young men decide to party in Malaysia, leaving one of them, a Greenpeace activist, behind after two years. He is sentenced to hang for a drug charge; only his two friends who have returned to America can save him.

Not a car chase in sight, but the tension is high. The unexpected, emotion-filled ending is both gratifying and sad. I recommend this film with eight (8) stars.

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11 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
Why didn't this film get any Oscar nominations??, 19 July 2002

Author: spaceboy_a from Sydney

'Return to Paradise' is one of the most underrated films of the last few years. It deserved at least three Oscar nominations. Best actress: Anne Heche, Best supporting actor: Joaquin Phoenix and best original score: Mark Mancina. Was it because this wasn't a big studio film that it was robbed of these nominations? After reading other reviews, other people feel the same way. Even some Golden Globe nods would have been warrented.

This film wasn't released at the theaters here in Australia and went straight onto video and I understand it was a flop in the states cause most people were busy paying money to see the regular trash that comes out of Hollywood. This is a shame cause I would have made the effort to see it a couple of times at the cinema.

Anne Heche (Psycho) gave such an amazing performance in the film (maybe the performance of her career), my heart was aching at the end for her and the rest of the cast including Vince Vaughn (Psycho), David Conrad (Men of Honor), Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator) and Jada Pinket Smith (Scream 2) who you'll hate once the movie's over as she's pretty good as the bitchy/power hungry journalist are all so convincing in their roles.

Everyone should have a pretty good idea of what the plot involves but even if it isn't your cup of tea, the film is worth seeing for the performances which unfortunately have pretty much gone unrecognized. Check it out. Score: 9 out of 10

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7 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Good, but not great, 25 February 2002

Author: davidholmesfr from Netherlands

This film is about moral dilemma – whether or not to give up three, or maybe six, years of life by accepting imprisonment in a Malaysian jail, or continue living in freedom knowing that a friend has died as a result. This point needs to be made up front – it is not a film about the rights or wrongs of Asian judicial or penal systems, nor is it a film about the morality of drug taking.

So we follow the two characters, Sheriff (Vaughn) and Tony (Conrad) who have to make this decision as they go through the decision-making process, prodded in no uncertain manner by their friend's attorney Beth (Heche). This tortuous process is played out against the comparatively comfortable background of their home city, New York. And not only the comforts of home, but also of employment and marriage prospects.

The process is played out a little unevenly although given the nature of the decision perhaps this is not surprising. But where it is flawed is the sudden blossoming of romance between Sheriff and Beth. Prior to this there had been no indication of this turn of events, indeed, quite the opposite as the two had regularly fallen out and appeared to have a mutual dislike for each other. Thus there is a feeling of a contrived piece of plotting which, to make matters worse, goes on to form the basis of the end of the movie.

Whether or not this is an accurate portrayal of the Malaysian judicial and penal systems seems an irrelevance. On a rather pedantic point where was the US embassy (and State Department) to provide support? It simply is not the case that in circumstances such as these that the lead characters would have been left on their own. That's not to say that the outcome would have been any different but it may well have affected some of the decisions individuals took towards the end. It might also have been an opportunity to add a little more reality and edge to the story, especially if the officials took an approach that put US foreign relations above the interests of its own citizens!

This is a movie that makes us think – and no movie that does that can be written off. And the acting, especially from Heche and Phoenix, is fine. But the plot flaws mean it's a good, rather than a great, film.

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6 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
This film is a poignant..., 5 August 2002

Author: cyrus_213 from USA

This film is a poignant tale about moral decisions and the value of a single life - testing the ethic fiber of two men. This movie makes you pause and ask yourself if -you- would make the right decision, if -you- were strong enough to make such a sacrifice. The movie doesn't immediately assume that all people are good and morally sound, would give up themselves for the good of another. It introduces the character Sheriff (captivatingly portrayed by Vince Vaughn), a man who doesn't immediately jump at the chance to save a friend. The movie shows a truer side of man that many would prefer to ignore the callous self-serving side that still exists in all people. Sheriff must overcome himself, his own personal flaws to make a decision to give up years of his own life to save another. The man with his head literally on the chopping block, Lewis, is played by Joaquin Phoenix a brilliant actor who has finally had the chance to show his amazing talent. The film is an intense ride that leaves viewers in tears but enlightened. Not a feel-goof film for the faint of heart but an eye-opening lesson for the morally lost. Possibly my all-time favorite film.

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
A deep thinking movie, 25 August 2000

Author: Mike-DD from Singapore

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This movie makes you think on several levels. First of all, regardless of your stance on drugs, do you have the right to ingest it where they disallow it? It's fine if you are at home in your country, but when you are in a different country with different laws, then shouldn't you comply with those laws, just as you'd expect a guest in your home to respect your house rules? On a different vein, it also makes you wonder how strong your bonds of friendship with your mates are? Are they strong enough to weather 3 years in prison (and Malaysian prisons are not like what you'd find in an American prison)? Are you willing to waste 3 years of a so far successful life so that a friend does not hang? Another point of concern was the sensitivity of people. Even when told of what her actions might imply to the Malaysian judge and what this means for the prisoner, the reporter refuses and goes on to file a scathing report on the Malaysian justice system, and while she gets the credits, the prisoner gets the punishment. If the death penalty is legal in America where the story's from, then why should the use of capital punishment by another country for crimes it hold responsible for social decay and anarchy be objectionable?

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5 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Fantastic film, a classic, 4 March 2001

Author: Rich (richdvk@aol.com) from England

If you're into teenage jock movies or action-packed explosion movies then look away. This is an intelligent drama that will have your mind working without time for a break. Joaquin Phoenix's portrayal of Lewis goes from superb to breathtaking as the movie progresses. A number of twists and turns along the span of the movie makes it hard if not impossible to predict who will decide to do what next. Without wanting to give too much away, the tragic ending is directed without fault, leaving this a gut-wrenching masterpiece which will probably never get the credit it truly deserves.

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4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
You'd take 3 years from me but you wouldn't take my word?, 15 August 2009

Author: JohnRouseMerriottChard from United Kingdom

Sheriff and Tony are taking a hedonistic holiday in Penang, Malaysia. Hooking up with friend of the Earth, Lewis McBride they have a wonderful time and bonds are well and truly formed. Come the time for Sheriff and Tony to return to America, they leave Lewis their respective blocks of Hasish as gifts. The name Lewis McBride is forgotten by both men until two years later a lawyer turns up in New York to tell them both some startling news. After the boys left Penang, the police searched their beach house and found the Hashish, the volume of which got him arrested for drug trafficking. A crime punishable by death by Malaysian law. In 8 days time, Lewis, who has been locked up in dreadful Penang prison for two years, will be hung unless both the guys go back to Penang and accept their responsibility for the Hashish. An acceptance that will get each of them 3 years prison themselves.

Return To Paradise is a remake of a little known and seen French film from Pierre Jolivet called Force majeure. Throwing up a deep moral quandary and no small amount of surprises, it may just be one of the most undervalued films from the 90s. Starring Vince Vaughn, Anne Heche, Joaquin Phoenix and Jada Pinkett Smith, Jolivet's story gnaws away at the audience as it forces the issue at hand. Namely what would you do in the same situation? To save a friends life are you prepared to spend three years in a notoriously dank and desperate hell hole? Tho the piece is emotionally loaded in favour of doing what most would deem the right thing, the makers sucker us in, only to then steer us in other directions with a triple hander of a finale. There is also the impact of the press here, something that is crucial to the plot, and it's something that thankfully isn't glossed over. This really is a tightly constructed picture.

Vaughn {Sheriff} shows some great dramatic chops, it's refreshing to see him away from frat pack comedy shenanigans. Heche {Beth} looks gorgeous and gives her character real depth, while Phoenix as the imprisoned Lewis is heartbreakingly real. Not faring so well is Pinkett Smith as pesky reporter M.J. Major. Tho only a small part, it's really hard to accept her as a tough reporter who can get things done. Worthy of a mention is the cinematography by Reynaldo Villalobos, the shift in tones he uses between Malaysia to America is very smart and forces the issue of two completely different cultures. This is after all not just about a dilemma, it's also about differing laws on different continents. I found this film to be an emotional roller-coaster that stayed with me for some time after. It's hoped that more people will seek it out and get as much emotion and cranial ponderings from it that I most assuredly did. 8/10

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