Return to Paradise (1998)

Very well executed

Awesome Movie

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

every time I watch this movie 2 things come to mind. 1 why to a get teary eyed every time I watch it even when I now know every square inch of the movie. and 2 how in the hell did this movie not even get so much as a nomination.this movie is GREAT and it's a shame to see so many haters on IMDb ruin its score.all actors in it deliver some of the best performances of their careers and mixed in with great directing and best of all a strong plot.you leave return to paradise asking your self repeatedly would i go back? you even discuss it with your friends but you don't want to ruin it for them so you tell them to watch it just so that you can talk about it.one of my favorite movies in any category 10/10

This review ,as the summary suggests,might seem like just another review from a Hollywood buff who just fell in love with a movie,every minute of which he is cherishing.. but I hope this review convinces you to see this movie as soon as your done reading it because,trust me,you will rate it as one of your finest.Joseph Ruben has delivered an Oscar-worthy film which is brilliantly made making you empathize with the characters portrayed in the film.The story revolves around 3 men lewis(jaoquim phoenix),tony(David conrad) and sheriff(vince vaughn) holidaying in Panang,Malaysia where it's all fun with drinks,drugs and women after which lewis stays back to fight for animal rights when tony and sheriff call it a day and head back to their lives in new york.Two years later beth eastern(anne heche) shows up at their doors telling them that lewis has been imprisoned for possession of hash and is awaiting death by the noose but can be saved from being hanged if both of them share the responsibility of the crime with him and spend 3 yrs each together or 6 years if only one of them chooses to go back..The rest of the story revolves around how beth tries to convince the two to "return to paradise" to serve their time fighting their own personal barriers,tony:convincing his lovely fiancé played by vira farmiga to let him go and sheriff:the reluctance to loose 3 years of his life in a third-world prison,while trying to fend off a story-hungry reporter played by jada pinkett.The movie is not as simple as the plot suggests and has a lot of twists making it a gripping story.All the main cast members portrayed their roles with elegance,vaughn and heche in particular,and brought a certain empathy to the screen which is the key ingredient in such a film.This movie is certainly one of the best films I have seen and definitely one of the greatest.I would,without doubt,go with a 10/10.Bravo!

This movie was one of the most powerful I have ever seen in terms of presenting the issue of what responsibility each of us has for our actions. It poses the question of whether two young men will return to Malaysia to serve prison terms for the hash purchases they made while on vacation. If they fail to act, the idealistic third member of their group will be executed. The performances by Vince Vaughn, Anne Heche, and Joaquin Phoenix are superb.An added dimension is a short scene where the Vince Vaughn character asks his father for guidance on what he should do. Others also provide information and influence in shaping the decision on whether he should go back to Malaysia where jail conditions are so harsh his ability to survive a short term prison sentence is problematic.

This movie was on my watch list for a long time before I finally got around to it. I'm familiar with Malaysia and its laws so the story intrigued me even more. Overall it was a good story but quite slow moving at times. They could have gotten through some issues much more quickly. Nevertheless, the movie keeps you compelled to know what will happen next so it's never really a bore. The sex scenes are mild and almost unnecessary. Personally, a better, longer sex scene would have been more suitable than the sporadic stuff (bordering on pointless) we find here. The ending sends a very strong message you won't forget any time soon, though. Not a waste of time.