The Next Best Thing

Rating:
Summary: Worst Thing
Review: This movie is a major disappointment mostly because it has a great idea (a gay man and straight woman raising a child) but the movie ultimately sabotages it and the result is indulgent, dull and smug. Although Madonna and Rupert Everett have a nice chemistry, that's about the only good thing about the movie. The script is terrible and the choices made seem less from the director than Madonna and Rupert themselves. Madge insisted her character be changed from a school teacher to a yoga instructor. It's silly and Madonna, like in many of her films except for Evita and Swept Away, never connects with the character. The strange lighting (especially around Madonna's eyes) is distracting and seems to take on a new type of lighting in film: "The Light Madonna This Way Lighting Technique".

A miserable experience.

Rating:
Summary: Not the greatest movie, but not bad.
Review: I generally liked The Next Best Thing. After Evita it wasn't a bad performance from Madonna. As Evita was just singing, of course her performance would be great. However, her acting has been touch and go. Additionally, I never really thought about the male perspective when divorcing females, and hearing how angry they would get about their bi*ch ex-wives. After seeing the scene in the courtroom, I had a new understanding. The only thing unbelievable was Madonna driving away in a Lexus ES300--ya right! Other than that, it was not bad.