Gigli (pronounced "zhee-lee") is a film released in 2003 which was written and directed by Martin Brest, staring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez.
Larry Gigli (Affleck) is a lowly thug who is tasked with the kidnap of the younger brother of a powerful federal prosecutor, in an attempt to save his mobster boss from jail. The task proves to be difficult for Gigli, so Ricki (Lopez), a lesbian assassin, is sent to oversee Gigli.
Al Pacino and Christopher Walken also star.
The movie was considered a spectacular failure, having grossed only $4 million in its opening weekend after costing $52 million to make, and earning nearly universally poor reviews. This led to its becoming a synonym for "poor quality" for a brief period in July and August 2003, especially on late-night talk shows. Although the film itself is widely seen as shockingly bad, the media attention over Affleck and Lopez's engagment may have hampered the movie's reputation further. Film critics were so fearsomely derisive that there was speculation as to whether they were competing to see who could give the nastiest review.
A common criticism of Gigli is that it too closely follows the modern era film industry practice of reusing unoriginal plots, clichéd dialog, and significant filler material.
