Marv
Screen Gems
SKA Films
Not part of a collection.
Swept Away
Paradise makes strange bedfellows.
Stranded and alone on a desert island during a cruise, a spoiled rich woman and a deckhand fall in love and make a date to reunite after their rescue.
- Original title
- Swept Away
- Language
- EN
- Country
- IT,GB
- Budget
- $10,000,000
- Revenue
- $598,645
Wuchak
Oct 7, 2022 · via TMDB
**_A romantic-comedy that's actually really good_** A group of rich Americans take a private cruise from Greece to Italy where a spoiled middle-aged woman, Amber (Madonna), mentally abuses the crew, in particularly the first mate Pepe (Adriano Giannini) whom she constantly refers to as PeePee. The crew puts up with her pompous antics because she's the paying customer, but everything changes when Amber and Pepe are stranded on a deserted Island, putting Pepe in a position of control. "Swept Away" is a 2002 remake of the 1974 Italian film starring Madonna and directed/written by Madonna's (then) husband Guy Ritchie. Despite what you may have heard, it's fun and entertaining, but also thought-provoking and moving. For the record, I'm not a follower of Madonna; I neither love her nor hate her. In fact, I almost didn't watch this film because she starred in it, but I gave-in because I'm a sucker for survival-on-deserted-island flicks. I'd also like to point out that I've never seen the original '74 film, so I have no nostalgic bias. "Swept Away" failed at the box office in 2002, but only because it was barely released to theaters and critics condemned it before it was even completed. It subsequently swept (away) the Razzies as the worst picture and a bandwagon effect developed with everyone jumping into the negative feeding frenzy. Is it really THAT bad? No. Not even close. "Swept Away" starts as a fun, entertaining farce and morphs into a potent social commentary and, finally, a moving love story. The movie will make you laugh, make you angry, make you cry and ultimately move you -- no kidding. But it will only have this effect IF you refuse to listen to the drivel of the cookie-cutter critics and give it a chance. As for Madonna, she's no Meryl Streep but she successfully makes you despise Amber in Act 1 and feel for her later on. She made me believe Amber was a real person. What more do you want? I'm not an anti-capitalist but the film effectively points out the flaws of this system. It also effectively reveals how money/materialism can't of itself give true happiness, love or fulfillment. Amber had everything but was the most unhappy, loathsome person you'd likely ever meet. One reviewer referred to the film as a "wife beater's fantasy" but failed to point out that it could just as easily be called a "Man torturer's fantasy" or "Man emasculater's fantasy." Let's be evenhanded with our appraisals. I admit the physical abuse of Amber on the island (slapping, kicking and especially the faux-rape) is disturbing and almost tempted me to tune out, but then I saw what the filmmakers were shooting for, the filmmakers being Madonna and her husband. In our society we've been misled to believe that mental abuse is less abusive because it's not physical. This film effectively shows that mental abuse can be just as bad, if not worse. ***SPOILER ALERT*** During the first half hour Amber horribly torments and emasculates Pepe (and others) because she's a spoiled brat and in control. When the tables are turned and she loses control on the island Pepe utilizes extreme measures to de-spoil Amber. In other words, Pepe realized that Amber was so far gone -- so utterly spoiled -- that she literally needed slapped back to reality. This is in line with a biblical proverb "Blows and wounds cleanse away evil and beatings purge the inmost being." Let's face it, some people are so far gone (that is, spoiled) that they literally need the snot beat out of them -- that's the only thing that's going to wake 'em up to reality. Apparently Pepe realized this on the island and acted accordingly. Do I think he goes too far? Yes, but -- then again -- I wasn't the one mentally tormented for days on the boat and totally emasculated in front of others. Regardless, the story shows that his methods worked -- Amber was humiliated to the point of seeing life from a totally different perspective, a much-needed new perspective. Pepe's discipline ultimately brings out spiritual character in Amber to the point where she refuses to call on passing boats to save her from her exile (two moving scenes, by the way). Why? Because she's been delivered from the bondage of selfishness, arrogance and materialism; she has experienced true love, fulfillment, team-work, companionship and independence (remember, she DOES learn how to fish for herself) for the first time in her life. It becomes more precious than gold to her and she doesn't want to let it go. Again, I think Pepe goes too far with the physical abuse (in fact, I don't believe in physical ABUSE at all); he should've stopped with a couple of slaps, at most, but the filmmmakers are (evidently) saying she was so far gone that extreme measures were necessary. Besides, didn't she make her own bed, so to speak? Let her lie in it. ***END SPOILER*** The fact that Madonna -- one of the most successful women in history and the original "material girl" -- utilized this film to make this point speaks volumes. Is it a sign of weakness? No, it's a sign of enlightenment and spiritual strength. BOTTOM LINE: "Swept Away" is much better than similar flicks like 1998's "Six Days, Seven Nights" with Harrison Ford and Anne Heche. Why? Because, not only is it fun and entertaining, it's also thought-provoking and moving. Really, what more do you want from a stranded-on-a-deserted-island romantic-comedy? Needless to say, those who go overboard with the negative criticism need to get real. The film runs a short-but-sweet 89 minutes and was filmed in Sardinia and Malta. The DVD features a 20-minute making-of piece with Madonna and Guy Ritchie interviewing each other. It's an entertaining, informative and revealing piece. The DVD also features 16 deleted scenes. GRADE: A- or B+
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Madonna
Amber Leighton
Adriano Giannini
Giuseppe 'Guido' Esposito
Bruce Greenwood
Anthony 'Tony' Leighton
Jeanne Tripplehorn
Marina
Elizabeth Banks
Debi
Michael Beattie
Todd
David Thornton
Michael
Yorgo Voyagis
Captain
George Antoni
Chef
Beatrice Luzzi
Rich Lady
Patrizio Rispo
Burly Captain
Rosa Pianeta
Receptionist
Russell De Rozario
Production Design
Arianne Phillips
Costume Design
Guy Ritchie
Director
Eddie Hamilton
Editor
Suzanne Smith Crowley
Casting
Matthew Vaughn
Producer
Arvo Pärt
Additional Soundtrack
Michel Colombier
Original Music Composer
Simon Hayes
Sound Mixer
Phillip Leonhardt
Rotoscoping Artist
Andy Taylor
Visual Effects Production Assistant
Lina Wertmüller
Original Film Writer
Guy Ritchie
Screenplay
Tableau d'honneur
Alpha Quail
Domingo es un decir
Young Hearts
Anniversary
Alone Apart
Ninotchka
Sano Sansar
The Apartment
In the Mood for Love
La Mandragore
Amélie
The Postman
Titanic
Annie Hall
Jules and Jim
Walk the Line
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
To Have and Have Not
Father There Is Only One 2
Pretty Woman
Pandora's Box
An Affair to Remember
Lost in Translation
Angoor
Match Point
Belle de Jour
Stolen Kisses
The Lady Eve
Notting Hill
Sadma
Bed and Board
A Star Is Born
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Terms of Endearment
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
The Lake House
Love on the Run
Live Flesh
Chocolat
Revolutionary Road
Sadhyam
Baksa Badal
The Good Companions
Raman Abdullah
Gentle Julia
True Dreams
Hart op de Juiste Plek
Wed or Wait
Madagascar
Pardon Mon Affaire
Mannequin
When Ladies Meet
50 First Dates
City of Angels
Hairspray
Monsoon Wedding
Vanilla Sky
Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical
Perfect Strangers
The Thomas Crown Affair
Chasing Amy
Team America: World Police
Muppet Treasure Island
Unfaithful
In the Good Old Summertime
Love, Divided
Hairspray
There's Something About Mary
Playing by Heart
Kitchen in Paris
You Stole My Heart
The Party
Grill Point
Brewster's Millions
A Crime in Paradise
Ti ricordi di me?
Sweet Little Lies Downtown
Breaking Up in Rome
To Die For
Hitch
Nothing to Hide
Flow and Ebb
Joy to the World
Fools Rush In
Reflections in a Golden Eye
What Women Want
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Outsourced
Over Your Dead Body
Swept from the Sea
Two Weeks Notice
Tadap
Oh Belinda
Shrek the Third
Cheaper by the Dozen
Frankenstein, the Vampire and Company
Mean Machine
2 Days in Paris
Just My Luck
Bedazzled
Lymelife
Soccer Days
In Good Company
Married to the Mob
The Valet
Ladies First
Head Above Water
The Wedding Planner
All Things Valentine
Young Adam
Three for the Show
FC Venus
Der Vierer
Alfie
High Spirits
Fool's Gold
License to Wed
Loving Glances
Earth Girls Are Easy
The Kiss
Get Over It
I Love Trouble
Dirty Dancing
Here Now
Girls
Splash, Too
Wild Wild West
Booty Call
Hot for Teacher
The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 1: The Moab Story
The Bachelor
The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again
All's Well, End's Well 2009
Love Never to End
Net Games
Not in Textbooks
Tropic Zone
Boy Bye
About the Looking for and the Finding of Love
Allari Bullodu
The Key
Life Partner
Dangerous Paradise
Chooch
Unhinged Date
Broadcasting Girl
The Zombie Wedding
Confession
Buzzkill
UFO Club
All the Love Heaven Allows
Untitled The Bodyguard Remake
Mama, I'm in Love with Pamela Anderson
Vera
Lunch Hour
Une île
Delusionally, Ari
Ensayos y errores
Rien de Sérieux
Guarding Stars
See You on the Other Side
Chameleon
¿Quieres ser mi hijo?
Voicemails for Isabelle
Robin Williams: An Evening at the Met
Dinner in America
Poor Things
True Romance
About Fate
Ricky Gervais: Armageddon
Puppy Love
Fire Island
Accident Man: Hitman's Holiday
My Sassy Girl
Team America: World Police
Secret Admirer
Sex Appeal
Mr. Right
Over Your Dead Body
Jimmy Carr: Natural Born Killer
Pocket Listing
Desperate Living
Starting Over
Someone Great
How to Date Billy Walsh
I'm No Angel
How to Murder Your Wife
The Hot Spot
I Want You Back
Accident Man
How to Be Single
The Lonely Guy
Cotton Comes to Harlem
Stretch
Hard to Die
Social Animals
Boot Camp
Nobody's Fool
Players
Cousins
Romance & Cigarettes
Picture This
Desperados
Ladies First
The Overnight
68 Kill
A Dogwalker's Christmas Tale
My Fake Boyfriend
A Nice Girl Like You
Balls Up
Meet Cute
Pawn Shop Chronicles
Pretty Persuasion
Playing It Cool
10
Oct 11, 2002
