--- title: "Swept Away: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/swept-away-2002/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/swept-away-2002" critics_score: 27 critics_reviews: 11 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Swept Away (2002): what the critics said Critics' score 27 from 11 reviews: 0 positive, 0 mixed, 11 negative. The consensus on Swept Away is uniformly negative: all eleven reviews find the remake unsuccessful, with criticism clustering around its loss of the original’s class and sexual politics. Most critics argue that the replacement romance offers little emotional interest, leaving the central relationship unconvincing and the dialogue lifeless. Madonna’s performance draws repeated complaints about a lack of humour, warmth or depth, while several reviews question the film’s treatment of its female lead. The differences concern how badly it fails and what, if anything, survives. The Guardian finds some merit in Ritchie’s slick shooting and editing, while Variety regards the result as a straightforward misfire rather than an exceptional fiasco. Slant Magazine offers the clearest dissent on Madonna, praising her performance in the island section despite rejecting much of the film. These concessions keep the criticism from being identical, but none amounts to a recommendation. ## The Guardian — John Patterson Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 15 October 2002. The remake half works thanks to Ritchie's slick shooting and editing, but Madonna gives an ordinary, unremarkable performance as the socialite and the camera is merciless on her appearance. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/oct/15/artsfeatures.features) ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds the film genuinely poor despite the pre-release backlash, calling it a failed remake that abandons its source's political elements for an unengaging central relationship. Madonna's character is singled out as one-dimensional and irritating. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/swept-away-2-review/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 14 October 2002. The film is a misconceived and unappealing romantic comedy that lives down to its advance word of mouth. It strips the original's political content, resulting in a feature that makes very little dramatic or emotional sense and becomes a soppy romance then over-the-top tragedy. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/swept-away/4010820.article) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 9 October 2002. The remake is not the total disaster expected, though the first half is unwatchable; it loses the original's class warfare and socio-political edge in favor of an S&M-tinged fantasy, with a sentimental compromise ending. Madonna gives a strong performance in the submissive role once the island strandings begin. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/swept-away-429/) ## The AV Club — Scott Tobias Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 18 October 2002. Ritchie's version softens the original's provocative class and sexual politics into a silly, lightweight romantic comedy that backfires, turning abuse and resentment into foreplay and laughs while burying any real point. It lacks conviction and ends up feeling like a misguided attempt to please everyone. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/swept-away-1798197967) ## Variety Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 12 October 2002. The misguided remake is a simple misfire rather than a world-class fiasco, alternating between the painless and turgid. The review singles out the lack of interest in class-divided social satire and the humorless headline performance for complaint. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2002/film/reviews/swept-away-1200545516/) ## The New York Times — A. O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2002. The film is a soggy and superfluous motion picture that washes ashore as a pointless remake. Scott singles out the loss of the original's sharp-elbowed politics and the mechanical, heatless performances for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/11/movies/film-review-no-madonna-is-an-island.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Manohla Dargis Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2002. Ritchie's update is even less plausible than the original and proves incapable of sustaining a scene or mood. Dargis singles out the director's evident dislike of women and the debased, sadistic treatment of the female lead for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-oct-11-et-swept11-story.html) ## Radio Times — Sloan Freer Rating 1/5. Guy Ritchie's insipid vehicle for his then-wife Madonna is a lifeless and occasionally misogynistic bore that went straight to video in the UK. Ritchie's direction and script are so unimaginative it's like watching a bad 1970s TV drama. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-3ogrsg/swept-away/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2002. The remake is a sentimental misfire that strips away the original's politics and social observation, turning it into an inarticulate situation romance. Ebert singles out the lack of any juice or life in the characters and their conversations for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/swept-away-2002) ## /Film — Jeremy Smith Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 24 August 2025. The critic views Ritchie's remake as an unnecessary and painful misfire that lacks the original's point or bite, resulting in one of the director's weakest efforts. Madonna's casting and the overall execution are singled out as particularly ill-advised. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1943898/crime-movie-legend-guy-ritchie-worst-romantic-comedy-swept-away/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/swept-away-2002.md