This waterlogged romantic comedy really does deserve to sink without trace.
Swept Away (2002)
Runtime: 1 hr 33 mins
Synopsis: MADONNA and ADRIANO GIANNINI star in director/screenwriter GUY RITCHIE'S contemporary adaptation of Lina Wertmuller's 1974 romantic comedy "Swept Away," a story of love, sex, drugs and too much money -- all set against the backdrop of a Mediterranean island paradise. Amber... MADONNA and ADRIANO GIANNINI star in director/screenwriter GUY RITCHIE'S contemporary adaptation of Lina Wertmuller's 1974 romantic comedy "Swept Away," a story of love, sex, drugs and too much money -- all set against the backdrop of a Mediterranean island paradise. Amber (MADONNA) is 40, beautiful, rich, spoiled and arrogant beyond measure. Selfish, superficial and childless, she steamrolls her way through life, leaving in her wake an ever-present aura of repressed rage, pungent dissatisfaction and secret longing. Nothing makes this woman happy, including her wealthy but passive husband Tony (BRUCE GREENWOOD), a pharmaceutical kingpin. Knowing that his wife is bored by their usual exotic vacations, Tony surprises Amber by taking her and two other couples, Marina (JEANNE TRIPPLEHORN) and Michael (DAVID THORNTON), Todd (MICHAEL BEATTIE) and Debi (ELIZABETH BANKS) on a private cruise from Greece to Italy. But as usual, Amber dismisses her husband's pathetic efforts to please her with a contemptuous snort. Complaining about everything from the size of their private jet to their choice of companions, Amber loses it when she sees that the sleek yacht she was expecting is actually a converted Greek fishing boat, complete with a malodorous crew and most horrifyingly -- no gym. Forced into an amenities-free vacation of playing cards and relaxing, Amber finds a target for her anger in the ship's first mate, Giuseppe (ADRIANO GIANNINI). Giuseppe, a strapping young fisherman with a wicked sense of humor and a repressed rage of his own, bitterly resents his American clients and everything they stand for, especially Amber. Amber senses his rejection and quickly makes sport of antagonizing him. Challenged by his refusal to cower in her formidable presence, she needles him incessantly, calling him names (Guido, Pepe, Pee pee, etc.), insulting his "fishes" and ridiculing him in front of his crew and the other guests. Unable to defend himself without losing his job, Giuseppe is furious, but is also aware of an involuntary and unstoppable attraction toward the miserable Amber. Hours after her companions have gone exploring the underwater caves one day, Amber demands that Giuseppe take her to join them despite his warnings about the late hour and questionable weather. Before long, the boat's motor fails and they drift helplessly as dusk approaches and Amber's whining reaches an earsplitting crescendo. Two days at sea, a thunderstorm and one sardine later they are shipwrecked together on a deserted island. Suddenly, the rules have changed. Amber, to her horror, is now completely dependent on Giuseppe -- and he takes full advantage to retaliate. Will they ever be rescued? Will Giuseppe's taunting become too much for the newly vulnerable Amber to bear. The result is a passionate and hilarious role reversal, with a surprising conclusion that neither Amber nor Giuseppe sees coming. -- © 2002 Screen Gems [More]
Genre: Comedies
Starring: Madonna, Adriano Giannini, Bruce Greenwood, Jeanne Tripplehorn, David Thornton
Screenwriter: Lina Wertmuller
Producer: Matthew Vaughn
Composer: Michel Colombier
DVD Info
Release:
Nov 2, 2003
DVD Features:
- Region 1
- Keep Case
- Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
- Dolby Digital 2.0 - French
Additional Release Material:
- Audio Commentary - 1. Guy Ritchie - Director
- Trailers
- Featurette - 1. Making OF
- Deleted Scenes with Filmmaker‘s Commentary (16)
Interactive Features:
- Interactive Menus
- Scene Selection
Reviews
More than annoyed, or angry, I just felt sad. Sad for what is quite possibly the premature death of a once-brilliant directorial career.
Alas, the only surprise was in seeing how little a top-notch director can do with a woman who simply cannot act.
Apparently willing to scuttle his own career, Ritchie writes and directs a film in which he does everything possible to make his own wife look ugly, rotten and despicable.
Whenever you agree that there’s more credibility in spotting a flying donkey with the hiccups rather than believing in an effective Madonna-hired acting coach, then you definitely earned the license to go with your first instinct.
Ritchie may not have a novel thought in his head, but he knows how to pose Madonna.
If there is one thing worse than a Guy Ritchie movie, it's a Guy Ritchie movie with Madonna in it.
The histrionic muse still eludes Madonna and, playing a charmless witch, she is merely a charmless witch.
Gone are Ritchie's style and wit. Gone is the mischievous sense of fun that pervaded his other films. Here instead are drudgery and inanity.
The only thing “swept away” is the one hour and thirty-three minutes spent watching this waste of time.
I wouldn't wish the stupefying dialogue of "Swept Away" on any actress, but to watch Madonna flounder through it is more punishment than I can bear.
A better title, for all concerned, might be Swept Under the Rug.
Two of the least likable characters I've seen in a romance in a long time.
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by: beagle 9/3/02


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