An Americanization of a 1990 French film called "Force Majeure", "Return to Paradise" tells a pretty straightforward story. Three young friends - Sheriff (Vince Vaughn), Tony (David Conrad), and Lewis (Joaquin Phoenix) - meet while vacationing in Malaysia. Lewis stays behind while the other two go home to America. Then, two years later, an attorney, Beth (Anne Heche), seeks out Sheriff and Tony to let them know that Lewis was jailed for possession of hashish (which actually belonged to all three of them). He's now due to be hanged, and Beth implores Sheriff and Tony to return to Malaysia and share in the blame in order to save their friends' life.
"Return to Paradise" isn't always consistently compelling - the romance between Sheriff and Beth doesn't work as well as the rest. But the film is pretty powerful in its best moments, spinning a fairly intelligent yarn about human responsibility, about owning up to ones' decisions and mistakes in life. It also deals with loyalty & friendship, the willingness to do anything to save someones' life, and the inadequacy of an oppressive prison system. It may have its viewers asking themselves the same question: would they be willing to put their lives on hold, and endure a depressing prison sentence, in order to help out a friend? In the case of Sheriff, it furthermore illustrates the idea that some of us do undervalue ourselves and underestimate our own strength of character.
The picture is directed with sensitivity and eloquence by Joseph Ruben, the veteran filmmaker who'd started out in exploitation films of the 1970s and graduated to things like "Dreamscape", "The Stepfather", "Sleeping with the Enemy", and "The Good Son" as his career went on. The performances are superb right down the line, although the Jada Pinkett Smith character, an aggressive reporter, may end up angering some viewers. Vera Farmiga has one of her earlier roles as Tony's concerned fiancee; Raymond J. Barry appears unbilled as Sheriffs' father. Phoenix is a standout as the sensitive, nature-loving do-gooder who wins audience sympathy quickly.
Although some viewers may feel that a climactic revelation a half hour from the end is not necessary, it does help the audience to understand just why a particular character is so determined to save poor Lewis.
A good film that never really did get its due 22 years ago, this is worth rediscovering nowadays.
Seven out of 10.
