Rarely does a film arrive amidst so much ill will and negative word-of-mouth; but is Swept Away really that bad?
To be fair, the pairing of Guy and Madonna meant only a work of art would escape the critics' sharpened claws. I'm afraid that's where my sympathy for the pair ends - yes, it really is that bad.
It's difficult to see what Ritchie was hoping to do with his remake of Lina Wertmuller's 1974 original, which is a curious hybrid of romantic comedy (sparring couple stranded on desert island) and political treatise.
Ritchie has eschewed the politics to touch on environmental/economic issues, but such considerations are soon abandoned in favour of Madonna and Andriano Giannini's unabsorbing relationship.
Ritchie admits in his commentary that he "wrote it quickly", and you can tell Madonna's rich socialite is a one-dimensional, irritating creature who deserves a metaphorical slap (though when the actual violence kicks in it is unpleasant to watch).
Ritchie's trademark humour and visual style are there in flashes, but sadly too sporadically to lift the rest of it from the doldrums.