Where to watch Gigli
3 Stars
Lets be clear from the start this isn’t the worst film starring a real life couple, that would be 1991’s ‘The Marrying Man‘ a dreadful so-called comedy featuring Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger. Many people over the years refer to this ‘bomb’ in the same breath as ‘Ishtar‘ and ‘Pluto Nash‘, when in fact it’s actually a very well-made film that was overshadowed by the much publicized on-set love affair between the leads.
Like the old Hollywood saying goes, ‘If they see you on T.V. and magazine covers all week, they won’t pay to see you on the weekends.’ At the height of ‘Ben-nifer’ mania this film was quietly dumped into theaters and made less than 6.5million dollars in its entire run. I think Sony thought they were getting a traditional romantic comedy, the kind Lopez was know for at the time. Whereas in reality they got a quirky road movie featuring an East Coast enforcer, a lesbian assassin and a autistic boy. Not the kind of story that sells a lot of tickets on date night.
However those daring enough to watch the film will be surprised at how funny and loose the whole enterprise is. A crackling script by once heralded writer/director Martin Breast (Beverly Hills Cop, Midnight Run) is full of juicy scenes and dialogue. Including a very erotic monologue delivered by Lopez about the virtues of having a vagina, all the while preforming suggestive yoga positions. Lopez has never been sexier on-screen and Affleck shows he’s got a great sense of comedic timing in his delivery.
It’s not the best film of 2003, or any other year for that matter. It is, however, far from the worst film ever made. Those with an open mind and good sense of humor will be won over by the endearing performance from all three leads and the twists and turns these characters make as the film reaches it’s unexpected and somewhat downbeat ending.
Director: Martin Breast
Stars: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bartha
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