Return to Paradise (1998)

Calificación de los usuarios:

6.7/10   

Director:

Joseph Ruben

Escritores (WGA):

Pierre Jolivet (motion picture Force Majeure) and
Olivier Schatzky (motion picture Force Majeure) ...

Fecha de Lanzamiento:

14 agosto 1998 (USA)

Género:

Drama | Romance | Suspenso

Frase comercial:

Give up three years of their lives or give up the life of their friend. They have eight days to decide.

Plot:

Two friends must choose whether to help a third friend who was arrested in Malaysia for drug possession.

Plot Keywords:

Vacation | New York | Prison | Drugs | Drug Possession

Premios:

2 nominations

Comentarios de los usuarios:

One of the most underrated movies of the past decade

Reparto

Vince Vaughn	...	John 'Sheriff' Volgecherev
Anne Heche	...	Beth Eastern
Joaquin Phoenix	...	Lewis McBride
David Conrad	...	Tony Croft
Vera Farmiga	...	Kerrie
Nick Sandow	...	Ravitch
Jada Pinkett Smith	...	M.J. Major
Ming Lee	...	Mr. Chandran
Joel de la Fuente	...	Mr. Doramin
Richard Chang	...	Prosecutor
James Michael McCauley	...	Famous Divorce Lawyer
Brettanya Friese	...	Young Woman in Limo
Deanna Yusoff	...	Woman in Bar
David Zayas	...	Construction Foreman
Amy Wong	...	Ticket Agent (as Amy Wong)

También conocida como:

A Long Way to Paradise (USA) (working title)
All for One (USA) (alternative title)
Force Majeure (USA) (working title)
Por la vida de un amigo (Argentina) [es]
Regreso al paraíso (Spain) [es]

MPAA:

Rated R for language, drug content, some sexuality and a scene of violence.

Duración:

111 min

País:

USA

Idioma:

Inglés

Color:

Color

Relación de Aspecto:

2.35 : 1

Sonido:

Dolby Digital

Clasificación:

Iceland:16 | Philippines:PG-13 | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Chile:14 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/16 (video premiere) | Singapore:PG | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Locaciones de Filmación:

Eastern State Penitentiary - 2124 Fairmont Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Compañía:

Polygram Filmed Entertainment

Trivialidades:

Cuba Gooding Jr. turned down the role of Tony the architect.

Errores:

Errores en Geografía: Long opening series of street scenes, local "color", was obviously filmed in Buddhist Thailand, complete with saffron-robed monks and red-green-gold Thai temples - Malaysia (population has 30 % non-Muslim minorities) doesn't have go-go bars or obvious brothels unlike Thailand).

Citas:

Beth: I'm not the best, but I am the most persistent.

Conexiones de Película:

References Casablanca (1942)

Banda de Sonido:

Sonata In F Minor

One of the most underrated movies of the past decade

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.