Film Review: Gigli (2003)

The greatness of Hollywood stars is often measured not only by their blockbuster hits and critically acclaimed masterpieces but by their ability to survive and thrive after starring in a monumental cinema disasters that would have sunk lesser mortals. For Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, this disaster was the 2003 film Gigli.

In the film Affleck plays Larry Gigli, low-level Los Angeles gangster who is given the task of abducting Brian (played by Justin Bartha), mentally challenged brother of federal prosecutor. Purpose of abduction is to prevent prosecution of a high-level mobster. Larry does what he is told simply by telling Brian to follow him. Babysitting his prisoner becomes complicated when he is paired with female gangster Ricki (played by Jennifer Lopez), to whom he would become attracted.

At the time of production, both Affleck and Lopez were at the zenith of their popularity, and their romance on the set added extra publicity, but, perhaps, also an extra scrutiny by the critics who mercilessly panned the film. This was followed by equal disapproval from audiences, and Gigli earned the distinction of being one of the worst box office flops of the 21st century. Its infamy was further solidified by its six Razzie Award wins out of nine nominations and its entry into the English lexicon as a synonym for a miserable failure.

Whether this reputation is entirely deserved or not may be a matter of debate. It's hard to deny that Gigli has at least few redeeming qualities. On a technical level, the film is competently made, and the cameos by Walken and Pacino add some much-needed entertainment value, the latter chewing scenery and even providing something that the more cynical viewers might interpret as indirect critique of the film itself.

However, in almost every other aspect, Gigli falls short. As a romantic comedy, the film fails to deliver on both counts. The jokes are generally unfunny, often in poor taste (such as the plot point involving mentally challenged men that the protagonist should protect), relying on the protagonist's stupidity to the point of being unlikeable. The romance between the two leads is non-existent, and the film's attempts to spice things up by turning Lopez's character lesbian come across as insulting to both lesbians and straight women. The concept of a straight man played by Ben Affleck "turning" a lesbian to heterosexuality has been explored with much more nuance and believability in Chasing Amy, and here it feels like a poor, uninspired Hollywood rehash.

The worst aspect of Gigli is director Martin Brest's tendency, already evident in his previous romantic comedy Meet Joe Black, of poor pacing. With a two-hour runtime, Gigli is an unbearable experience for all but the most masochistic viewers.

Luckily, both Lopez and Affleck were able to bounce back from this fiasco, with Lopez continuing her successful career in music and Affleck rediscovering himself as a successful award-winning director. However, it wasn't a happy ending for Brest, who blamed meddling studio executives for the disaster, potentially burning too many bridges and ensuring that Gigli would be his final film.

RATING: 2/10 (-)

Blog in Croatian https://draxblog.com
Blog in English https://draxreview.wordpress.com/
InLeo blog https://inleo.io/@drax.leo

Hiveonboard: https://hiveonboard.com?ref=drax
Rising Star game: https://www.risingstargame.com?referrer=drax
1Inch: https://1inch.exchange/#/r/0x83823d8CCB74F828148258BB4457642124b1328e

BTC donations: 1EWxiMiP6iiG9rger3NuUSd6HByaxQWafG
ETH donations: 0xB305F144323b99e6f8b1d66f5D7DE78B498C32A7
BCH donations: qpvxw0jax79lhmvlgcldkzpqanf03r9cjv8y6gtmk9

Posted Using InLeo Alpha