Product: The Next Best Thing (2000)
Rating: 1.0
Quite possibly the worst movie I have ever seen
I had heard bad reviews about this movie. However, I tossed them aside as I seem to generally enjoy movies that get panned by critics. I don't necessarily think a movie always should be "deep", if it's entertaining, then that's enough for me. So I went into this with an open mind. For once, I think I should have listened to the critics. This movie was just awful. About ten minutes into watching it, my husband and I debated turning it off, but the frugal side of us won over.I am a Madonna fan. The only movie I have watched with her has been "Desperately Seeking Susan", which I don't think was much of a stretch for her. In "The Next Best Thing", she comes across very stiff and uncomfortable to the camera. She even looks well past her 40 years of age due to harsh light. But that's beside the point. The point is she was not comfortable in this role and it shows. It seems as though she was dubbed as lot as well. And the fake English accent was horrendous. My husband and I agreed that she was awful in the beginning and end, however, she seemed to relax in the middle. Maybe they shot the beginning and ending scenes first? That might explain it.Rupert Everett is typically charming, yet I still had trouble caring about his character. His relationship with Madonna seemed forced, not natural. And his behavior at the end, although some people may find it justified, made me dislike his character even more. Benjamin Bratt seemed to be the only natural actor in this movie - too bad he couldn't save it.I cannot fathom that while making this the director, producer, etc. thought that this movie was worthwhile. Perhaps with another actress it could have been better? We'll never know. All I do know is that I never want to watch this movie again. As my husband so eloquently put, "That's an hour and a half I'll never get back."