From Deseret News archives:

Turtle Beach

Published: Tuesday, May 12, 1992 12:00 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 

Though its subject matter — the tragedy of the Vietnamese boat people — is inherently interesting and its players attractive, "Turtle Beach" is so full of melodramatic hokum that it never rises above superficial soap opera.

Greta Scacchi, who plays Tim Robbins' girlfriend in "The Player," has the lead here as a workaholic Australian photojournalist, and in a pre-credits sequence she is shown shooting pictures in the riot-torn streets of Malaysia.

After the credits it is 10 years later and Scacchi is in Sydney. We learn she is divorced, with two young boys, and still working as a newspaper photojournalist.

She is assigned to interview Joan Chen ("Twin Peaks," "The Last Emperor"), a Vietnam refugee who has married the much-older Australian ambassador (Norman Kaye) to Malaysia. Despite her position, Chen has a reputation as an obsessed champion of the boat people who land at Turtle Beach, much to the embarrassment of Malaysians who don't want them flooding into the country.

In truth, we learn much later, her obsession is less noble and more personal.

Story continues below

After her interview with Chen, Scacchi returns to Malaysia to get the inside scoop on the plight of the boat people. This leads her to witness the brutal slaughter of men, women and children on Turtle Beach by Malaysian villagers, who are portrayed as faceless savages. And eventually, she manages to get inside the way-station for the boat people on Bidong Island, which is more like a military prison camp.

"Turtle Beach" superficially resembles "The Year of Living Dangerously," but is undermined by simplistic dialogue (Chen explains everything the film has already shown us) and obvious plotting (government paranoia plays a large part in the film's twists and turns), and by a strange concentration on sex — in particular Chen's kinky baby-doll act with her husband.

The filmmakers would like to have us think of Chen's work for the boat people as tying in directly with Scacchi's neglect of her own two children, but it's quite a stretch.

In the end, the film is little more than platitudes mixed with exploitation, and certainly a waste of Scacchi's and Chen's talents.

"Turtle Beach" is rated R for considerable graphic violence, as well as sex, nudity and profanity.

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

Movie Info
Rated R for violence, profanity, nudity, sex.

Cast: Greta Scacchi, Joan Chen.
FIND LOCAL MOVIE SHOWTIMES
previousnext

Latest comments

When Boozer was shooting the free throws, why Sloan didn't substitute Mathew...

Letters: Global warming a lie

actions, I will be forced to be accountable for them. I refuse. I am an...

What's with the Utah fans flashing the double L sign?

@mark: So Sam da Ham... you were just making it up?" I'm a climate...

Utes excited to go to San Diego

"I have no idea why BYU fans are talking smack about bowl opponents. Even if...

TCU versus BSU unpopular

You say to "quit whining and play somebody." Isn't that what everyone is...

BoM translation remarkably consistent

Reading these comments, I start wondering-- Whatever happened to faith? Why...

Utes excited to go to San Diego

All those numbers when all you reall need to know is that BYU has beat Utah...

BYU eager for crack at Oregon State

All thos numbers when all you reall need to know is that BYU has beat Utah...

So Sam da Ham, when you said this: "Not so. Al Gore is poised to make...

Advertisements