Return to Paradise (1998) Vince Vaughn, Anne Heche, Joaquin Phoenix, David Conrad, Vera Farmiga, Nick Sandow, Jada Pinkett Smith, Ming Lee, Joel De La Fuente, Richard Chang. Screenplay by Wesley Strick and Bruce Robinson. Directed by Joseph Ruben. 109 minutes Rated R, 3.5 stars (out of five stars)
Review by Ed Johnson-Ott, NUVO Newsweekly www.nuvo-online.com/film/ Archive reviews at http://us.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Edward+Johnson-ott To receive reviews by e-mail at no charge, send subscription requests to pbbp24a@prodigy.com
Talk about ironic titles! Although the phrase "Return To Paradise" conjures up images of a tropical romance, the film is actually an intense, harrowing drama focusing on friendship, sacrifice, ethics and personal responsibility. Director Joseph Ruben has crafted a riveting morality play you won't soon forget.
It begins in Malaysia, where three buddies are wrapping up a hedonistic vacation. Sheriff (Vince Vaughn) and Tony (David Conrad) head for home, while their pal Lewis (Joaquin Phoenix) stays behind to pursue his work with animals.
Cut to two years later, when Beth (Anne Heche) visits Sheriff and Tony in New York. Introducing herself as Lewis' attorney, she lays out the nightmarish scenario. Minutes after the men departed, police raided their cabin and found enough hash to convict Lewis of possession with intent to sell, an offense punishable by death.
Beth wants the men to go back and accept responsibility for their share of the stash. If they do, the charges will be reduced to simple possession and Lewis will eventually be freed. If both men confess, they'll receive three years each. If only one confesses, he'll be jailed for six years. And if they both refuse, Lewis will be led to the gallows and hung. His execution date is a mere eight days away.
What would you do? Would you save the life of your friend by voluntarily subjecting yourself to a sentence in a hellish third-world prison? Or would simply say no and go about your business, with the burden of his death on your shoulders for the rest of your life?
There isn't a simple solution and thankfully, the story doesn't opt for easy answers. Based on the 1989 French film "Force Majeure," "Return To Paradise" keeps its focus on the gut-wrenching situation. Although the screenplay occasionally becomes sluggish during the New York scenes, director Joseph Ruben never lessens the intense feel. By the time the film reached its unexpected climax, I was left emotionally drained.
While all of the performances are strong, Vince Vaughn and Anne Heche deserve special mention. Vaughn, who became a star with his electrifying turn in "Swingers," gives depth to Sheriff, a likable young man accustomed to going through life on cruise control, always ready for a quick exit when things get dicey. Vaughn makes the callow youth's crisis of conscience seem credible.
Anne Heche gives a wonderfully nuanced performance as the desperate and determined Beth, whose character starts off strong and becomes even more engrossing as the movie goes along. Over the last couple of years, Heche has made an impact that handily overshadows her high-profile personal life. From her engagingly loopy cameo in "I Know What You Did Last Summer" to her delicate comic work as the romantic lead in "Six Days Seven Nights," Heche has proven herself one of the most versatile and talented actors working today.
"Return To Paradise" could easily have turned into "Midnight Express Jr., " but the writers have more integrity than that. Just when you're ready to dismiss the Malaysians as ruthless barbarians, one of their judges delivers a blistering indictment of the United States approach to social problems that is jarring because it contains so much truth.
Likewise, the American media takes some heavy shots, as their bullying, morally superior stance towards the policies of foreign nations exacerbates an already horrible situation.
Despite the slow spots and periodic lapses into melodrama, "Return To Paradise" succeeds because it makes us squirm. Long after leaving the theater, the film's central question stays with me. What would I do in that situation? I still don't know the answer.
© 1998 Ed Johnson-Ott
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