RETURN TO PARADISE A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 1998 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): ***
Tony and Sheriff have one hell of a decision to make. They have eight days to decide whether they will part with three years of their young lives in order to save a friend named Lewis from hanging. This moral dilemma is complicated and complex since it requires them to trust each other as well Lewis's lawyer, Beth, that her description of the parameters of their predicament is accurate.
Joseph Ruben's RETURN TO PARADISE, based on the French film FORCE MAJEURE, is a character study of individuals grappling with an ethical nightmare. Both the strength and the weakness of the film come from Rubin's dedication to his vision. He consistently keeps his actors in careful check. Faced with issues of enormous proportions that could mean not only imprisonment but also possible death, his characters stay low key and pensive.
The casting, with the exception of a weak performance by David Conrad as Tony, is strong enough to sustain a drama played more in the characters' heads than in their words. Subtle expressions on their faces tell much of the story.
Vince Vaughn and Joaquin Phoenix, who had the leading parts recently in CLAY PIGEONS, play "Sheriff," short for Volgecherev, and Lewis. Anne Heche is Beth, the lawyer who lays the problem into Sheriff and Tony's laps.
It begins with 3 college kid types, Lewis, Sheriff, and Tony, on a carefree vacation to Malaysia. They plan on partying, drinking, and smoking dope until their money runs out. Three likeable kids, they share some good-natured high jinks together with "broh" punctuating their every other sentence. After six weeks, Sheriff and Tony move back to New York City to go to work while Lewis stays on in a environmental mission to help save the orangutan.
The story then cuts to 2 years later in Manhattan. Sheriff is a limo drive, and Tony is a construction worker engaged to be married. Beth shows up and tells them that their friend Lewis will be executed in 8 days. It seems that the local authorities found him in possession of a little over 100 grams of hash just after they left. In Malaysia having more than 100 grams automatically makes him considered a dealer in the eyes of the law, and the sentence for dealing is death.
Since the hash belonged to all of them, Beth wants them to come back with her. If one of them agrees to be imprisoned there, he will get 6 years. If both go back, it will be 3 years each. In either case, Lewis will not be executed.
Immediately, Sheriff and Tony start to position themselves. At first, Tony says he will go, but only if Sheriff goes. Sheriff, on the other hand, appears happy to let Tony go alone. As you can imagine, these attitudes will evolve, and motives and "facts" will be questioned. An important and well-developed subplot features increasing sexual tension and interest between Sheriff and Beth.
The conclusion, which can be partially guessed, contains the explosive drama absent from the rest of the picture. Even if the film suffers from its languid pacing, its fascinating plot and excellent acting more than make up for its shortcomings.
RETURN TO PARADISE runs 1:51. It is rated R for sex, nudity, profanity, drug usage, and violence, and would be fine for older teenagers.
Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com Web: www.InternetReviews.com
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