Home :: DVD :: Drama :: General  

African American Drama
Classics
Crime & Criminals
Cult Classics
Family Life
Gay & Lesbian
General

Love & Romance
Military & War
Murder & Mayhem
Period Piece
Religion
Sports
Television
Swept Away

Swept Away

List Price: $19.94
Your Price: $17.95
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 3 4 .. 14 >>

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Not great, but enjoyable and very good.
Review: I have actually seen the new Swept Away and I thought it was very enjoyable. It follows the original quite closely but the ending is a little different.

Madonna gives a credible and strong performance 90% of the time and she shows a marked improvement in her acting abilities. The film is helped greatly by the chemistry she shares with leading man, Adriano Giannini. They have some great scenes together with Madonna showing great comic timing.

However some people will not like this movie. The physical abuse Madonna's character endures will prove a turn-off for some. If you didn't like the original Swept Away, chances are you won't like the new version either, it's not your typical Hollywood fare.

The script is a little on the light side. Guy Ritchie isn't the greatest screenwriter and I think that is the main weakness in his version. He pads the film with several music montage sequences that interupt the flow of the film somewhat.

But overall I enjoyed watching it and advise you to ignore what the critics will inevitably say and judge for yourself.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Don't let the band wagon film critics spoil this movie
Review: All too often film critics will bash a movie simply because of a person who is in it. Swept Away was called "a leading contender for a Razzie" (the anti-Oscar) before it even opened. I hope those people actually go see the movie because they will be surprised.

This movie is not perfect. Parts are very "Taming of the Shrew"-esque. I would have given more time developing the transition from "Amber the ..." to "Amber the Nice". And there was one scene where Giuseppe and Amber are on a lift that is pretty cheesy.

HOWEVER, the rest of the cinematography was wonderful. Madonna played the part beautifully, and in my eyes, redeemed herself after "The Next Best Thing". Adriano Giannini was simply amazing...I'm sure we'll be seeing more of him in Hollywood. The story was fast-moving, interesting, and fun. This movie is well-deserving of four stars.

I highly recommend this movie, but just remember:

1) Don't compare it to the original "Swept Away..." This is an adaptation for 2002. It's not meant to be like the original.

2) Go in with an open mind and just enjoy the show!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Could barely make it though the movie
Review: I waited until the movie came out on TV and I was glad. I saw it on HBO and it took will-power not to change the channel. Nothing else was on anyway. The story wasn't too orginal and her acting wasn't great either. This movie kind of reminds me of "Six days, Seven Nights". She is not someone that should play a lead role in a movie. As I said before the plot isn't that great. A pampered princess goes on cruise with her husband and friends. Then her and male crew member, who can't stand her and was ordered around by her all though the trip get stuck on the island. Then the roles reverse and she becomes the servant, and to make this plot even more brillant she starts to fall in love with him (even though he hits her) and is willing to leave her husband for him (good leason for the kiddies). The fact that her husband directed it turns me off because the fact I can picture her running around the set acting as she is better than everyone and people taking it because your husband is the director. Just look at the box, can her name and picture get any bigger, can you get any more ego centered. Overall I saw rent or buy if can get for cheap.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Let's be serious, folks -- It's Madonna
Review: Before I begin, I'd like to say that I am not a Madonna fan. All the online reviews I read about this movie have been written by die-hard Madonna fans who all gave it 5 stars and called this film her "best work!" I just want to clarify that I am not a Madonna fan but I am not a Madonna basher either. I guess I'm pretty neutral about the woman. She's had some good songs, some bad songs, some good movies, some bad movies. So, I give to you, an honest, non-biased, straight forward review...

"Swept Away" was not a bad film, certainly not as bad as the critics made it out to be. I will say, however, that there's really nothing captivating about the film -- nothing that draws you in and makes you want to see what happens next. It's one of those films you'll watch and as soon as it's done you'll have forgetten it. Still, it's entertaining. There are some funny scenes, a great dance number, and a lot of skin (mostly Madonna's).
Now Madonna's performance seems to be the topic of interest when it comes to this film. I think everyone will agree that Madonna isn't the world's greatest actress, but I don't think she was bad in this film. I think the problem was the script. The script was poorly written. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Madonna deserves an Academy Award for her performance, but I do feel that she did a decent job.
One thing worth mentioning about this film is the cinematography. It was wonderful. Guy Richie knows what he's doing. It was beautifully filmed and edited.
All in all, I'd say rent this movie, don't buy it. You won't want to watch it more than once or twice. Save you cash.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I loved this movie!!
Review: I do not understand why this movie got such critically negative reviews. This was a great movie. I thought it was extremely well acted and portrayed. Madonna did an excellent job of portraying a "rich bitch", and Adriano Giannini did an awesome portrayal of a poor Italian fisherman.

Immediately between these two mesmerizing characters, sparks ignite. "Amber" does all she can to make the gorgoues "Peppe" suffer her ridiculous spoiled whims. Everything gets turned around on Amber once she and Peppe get marooned on a deserted island. Peppe gets his revenge and then some.

All in all, this was an excellent movie, that deserved better than what it received. If anything, staring at the drop dead gorgoues Peppe, is well worth the several hours spent watching it. Do yourself a favor and watch it.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: As Much as I Wanted to Hate it ... I Came Away Liking it.
Review: When my wife brought this movie home, I looked at the DVD and thought: Wait a minute...oh no, this is that Madonna film that got panned left and right...what did you do? But it was a rainy Friday night (movie night), and nothing else was on, so I went into this with the lowest of expectations.

I am certainly not a big Madonna fan. While I admire how she's been able to reinvent herself musically, her acting ability leaves something to be desired. Her acting in this movie was not good...not good at all. But that aside, I felt the supporting cast was excellent, especially Adriano Giannini. Next to him, Madonna looked like an awkward first year high school drama student. Had someone else played the role of Madonna's spoiled rich girl, say Annette Bening or Debra Winger, the movie would have probably done much better. Madonna's lack of screen credibility doomed this one right out of the gate. Granted, Madonna's getting up there in age, but I was struck by how old and gristly she looked...even with makeup.

The cinematography was actually really good. Shots of the beach, panoramic shots of the ocean, the flora and fauna, all were visually pleasing. I'd probably watch the DVD again for that alone.

Would I run out and buy it? No. Would I rent it? Yes. Only if there was nothing else to choose from. On an "A" to "F" grading scale, it's a solid "C-".

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Curio Movie.
Review: A Rich, Spoiled Woman (Madonna) and a handsome Italina Fisherman (Adriano Gianini) find themselves stranded on a Medterrarean Island Paradise. It`s a island, where things of power and class are meaningless. At first, they truly deeply hate eachother until there`s differences come to a stop. They are suddenly attracted to eachother.

Directed by Guy Ritchie (Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels-Snatch) made a watchable, sometimes funny romantic film that is Interesting to look at. Alex Barber`s Cinematography is the Highlight of the Movie. The film has some good moments but moments of mean-spirited, some viewers will be turned off. This is a Remake of the 1974 film, directed by Lina Mertmuller. Giannini`s father:Giancarlo was in the Original Film. DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer and an terrific Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD has 16 Deleted Scenes with/without Commentary, theatrical trailers but the DVD Best Feature is the Jokey 20-Minute Featurette of Swept Away is the most entertaining, Even Funnier than the Movie! This film isn`t as bad, you might think. True, it was a Box Office Flop, the film might receive a Cult Status. The film is a Curio at Best. Grade:B+.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Madonna and Guy
Review: 4 Stars do to Guy's directing, not Madonna's acting. As much as I love Madonna, she seems a bit stiff in this movie. However, her image is classic, and she looks fresh and fantastic. This movie I recommend really for the die-hard Madonna fan, not just the average movie goer.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Surprisingly good remake
Review: This movie surprised me in several ways. One, it was an excellent performance by Maddona. Two, it was less violent than the original (which was too chauvinistic and brutal). Three,the ending was an improvement from the the original (more romantic and suspenseful). Four, the entire movie itself was done well and adapted to the American audience without losing a thing and even gaining a few.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Swept Away (2002)
Review: This one wasn't all that great. I would have given it four stars, but the ending persuaded me to give it only three. I wouldn't say that I dislike it. I thought it was okay, but I am disappointed in it.

Madonna plays Amber Leighton, a 40 year old rich woman, who as everything she wants, but it is very unhappy. She is a hard, demanding, selfish, cruel, cold hearted woman. People must obey her every command. Amber, her husband, Tony, and their friends, Michael, and his wife Marinna, and Todd, and his girlfriend Debi, all take a cruise to Italy and Greece. There, they meet Guiseppe (Peppe for short) (played by Adrianno Gianinni), a poor Italian fisherman. Peppe goes through constant torture and frustration with Amber. She annoys his with her selfishness and cruelness. One morning, the two get on a raft to catch up with everybody else, but they get lost. They find an island, which happens to be deserted, as usual. When they get to this island, Peppe turns the tables and tells Amber that he is now in charge. He wants her to know and feel what it's like to be treated like crap, to know and feel what it's like to fend for someone else. As Amber begins to change, the two begin to fall in love.

Don't get me wrong. The movie wasn't all that bad. I just wish it could have ended better. That's the only thing I dislike about this movie.


<< 1 2 3 4 .. 14 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates