Gigli
Positive hype almost always has a positive impact on a film's success. It doesn't take a triple-digit IQ to know that. Once in a while though, negative hype attracts attention, because some people want to see why a certain film has been called the worst movie of the year, decade, or history of time.
Sometimes I watch a crappy-looking movie so I can ream it Diggity Doug-style. However, the last such film, Boat Trip, was actually better than I expected. Also, Gigli, which critics and audiences are treating as the forerunner for the Worst Picture of the Year Razzie, could have been worse (but not much).
Larry Gigli (Ben Affleck) is a Mob enforcer who lacks a key ingredient of his chosen business: guts. His boss Louise puts him on a new assignment; Gigli is charged with kidnapping the mentally retarded brother of a federal prosecutor. This particular U.S. Attorney is holding the Mob family boss Starkman on enough charges to keep him in federal pound-me-in-the-ass prison for life.
Gigli finds the target, Brian, and manages to trick him into going with him to Gigli's apartment. Larry is untrained in dealing with mentally retarded individuals and is impatient with Brian. The film so far feels like a bad remake of Rain Man. Meanwhile, Louise, lacking confidence in Larry Gigli, sends reinforcement. Gigli finds himself stuck with Ricki (J-Lo), an attractive and tough "contractor" who is making sure he doesn't wuss out or fuck up in any way. However, Ricki and Gigli get to know Brian and start to like him, and this loss of objectivity jeopardizes their chances of staying above ground level.
Speaking of the Razzie Awards, I am expecting Gigli to get a few nominations in the acting category, in addition to the directing and overall merit. Ben Affleck is not the best in displaying emotion (particularly anger) in his characters, and Larry Gigli loses his cool quite easily for a Mob hitman. Starkman (Al Pacino) defines "not giving a shit" as the single most intimidating attribute in a person; however, "not giving a shit" aptly describes Pacino's brief but over-the-top performance. Jennifer Lopez gives a par performance, but I anticipate a Razzie nod just because of her association with this movie.
Perhaps another compelling reason that Gigli has been bombarded with criticism is because it was a conceptual failure from the beginning. A romantic comedy about two Mob lackeys may as well have been titled Empty Theatre. The gangster characters and the film's dark tone will turn off couples expecting a romantic comedy, and the slow-moving straightforward plot will disappoint audiences who appreciate good stories. Despite these fundamental flaws, Gigli kept my attention with a few scenes of quasi-clever dialogue. Furthermore, I couldn't help laughing at the part where Larry's mother meets Ricki and Brian.
Gigli's failure is a surprise considering its director. Martin Brest has succeeded in making comedies (Beverly Hills Cop & Midnight Run) and drama (Scent of a Woman & Meet Joe Black). Regardless, "Beniffer" is getting most of the blame for this bomb.
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There aren't any memorable drinking scenes/quotes, so make your own.
One of the most interesting scenes in the film features Jennifer Lopez doing sexy stretches as she explains how a woman's "holiest of holeys" is the most sought-after erogenous zone. Schwing!
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