“Gigli” (Columbia Pictures)
The phenomenon known as “Ben & Jen” has arrived intact in the film “Gigli.” Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck don’t so much star in the movie as bring their considerable charm to it. The fact that the film has a creepy, violent plot and not much substance is not their fault. They just do the acting. They don’t do the writing or directing.
Martin Brest directed the film and he also directed “Scent of A Woman.” Perhaps that is why Al Pacino shows up in the movie in a brief cameo as a crook with a taste for violence. He eliminates one of the characters in the film and keeps on smirking.
Smirking is one of the key elements in this movie. Ricki (Lopez) and Larry (Affleck) smirk at each other because they are both into women. And they are both enforcers for criminals. They are hired by a weasely thug named Louis (Lenny Venito). He has ordered Larry to kidnap the mentally challenged younger brother of the Los Angeles District Attorney. Ricki is ordered by Louis to keep an eye on Larry.
The kidnapped young man is named Brian (Justin Bartha) and he has a variety of emotional problems. Still he manages to do most of what Ricki and Larry tell him to do. This makes the story flow smoother and keeps the characters sane.
Forced to be in each other’s company for several days, Larry tries to impress Ricki. That is when he learns of her predilection towards females. Undaunted he continues to pursue her. This leads to some awkward and emotional moments between the two and some graphic sexual conversations.
Affleck and Lopez do have chemistry together. You can sense the heat building as their characters play their word games. So on the acting front the movie is okay. Ben, Jen and Justin are believable in their roles. Still you do have to wonder why this movie isn’t set in New Jersey rather than California. Larry looks and acts like a Jersey dude, and their isn’t anything Californian about him – including his mother, played by Lainie Kazan.
Christopher Walken also pops up in a small role at the start of the film. You keep waiting for him to return but it never happens.
The movie is rated R for profanity, violence and crude language.
The problem with Gigli” is the script. It doesn’t tell an appealing story and it doesn’t make us care about anyone in the film. That’s why the movie fails. Jen and Ben actually make a valid effort to bring the movie to life. But it is doubtful anyone could pull off that trick.
I scored “Gigli” a giggly 3 out of 10.
