Swept Away

Directed by Guy Ritchie, Swept Away follows a spoiled socialite (Madonna’s Amber Leighton) as she and a deckhand (Adriano Giannini’s Giuseppe) find themselves stranded on a deserted island. It’s a reasonable-enough premise that’s employed to watchable yet relentlessly erratic effect by Ritchie, as the filmmaker, armed with his own screenplay, delivers a frequently frustrating endeavor that does, at the outset, boast a seriously unlikable central character at its core – with Amber’s aggressively hateful demeanor making it impossible to work up the slightest bit of interest in or sympathy for her exploits. The arms-length vibe is compounded by Giuseppe’s abusive behavior towards Amber after the pair arrive at the aforementioned deserted island, and it is, as such, difficult to fully embrace the admittedly compelling relationship that subsequently ensues between the odd couple – with the movie’s final half hour, which boasts the feel of a fairly typical tragic romance, unable to pack the emotional punch one might’ve anticipated (ie it’s clear that the Giuseppe’s brutish behavior should’ve been severely toned down). By the time the unexpectedly compelling closing stretch rolls around, Swept Away has confirmed its place as a mostly misguided endeavor that nevertheless remains watchable for the duration of its 89 minutes (ie the film is stylish and well made, generally speaking).

**1/2 out of ****