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THE VIOLENT STORY ABOUT HOW A CRIMINAL LESBIAN, A TOUGH-GUY HIT-MAN WITH A HEART OF GOLD, AND A RETARD CAME TO BE BESTFRIENDS THROUGH A HOSTAGE.Many critics called Gigli one of the worst movies ever made, but their condemnation isn't entirely justified. The movie's got plenty of problems, such as inconsistent tone, gag-inducing dialogue, and a meandering plot that fails to generate momentum over 124 minutes. And yet, this character-based vehicle for Hollywood sweethearts Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez is not without its charms: To begin with, there's J-Lo, whose beauty and presence flourish despite her ill-conceived role as a lesbian contract killer. Critics were also wrong in saying Lopez lacks on-screen chemistry with her off-screen beau; there are moments when they click,! but director Martin Brest's screenplay maintains sexual confusion right up to an ending that's a total cop-out. Affleck (who did the lesbian-love thing in Chasing Amy) plays another good-natured killer, and their joint kidnapping job (involving the mentally disabled brother of a federal prosecutor) is destined to fail for all the right reasons, even as this anti-romantic comedy (featuring scenery-chewing cameos by Christopher Walken and Al Pacino) fails for all the wrong ones. --Jeff ShannonBeniamino Gigli was the most popular and successful Italian tenor in the first half of the 20th century. Acclaimed as the second Caruso, he was a great popular favourite both on the operatic stage and the concert platform from his debut in 1914 to his retirement in 1955.

Gigli recorded extensively for HMV (now EMI) and his records were among the company's best sellers for many years.

This ICON set covers the whole of Gigli's recording career, starting with his ve! ry first records made in Milan in October and November 1918 to! his far ewell concert at Carnegie Hall, New York, in April 1955.

The programme begins with some of Gigli's early 78 rpm records of operatic arias, duets and ensembles, made up to the middle of the 1930s. Then come extracts from the recordings of complete operas that Gigli made from 1934 onwards, starting with highlights from one of his most famous roles, the tragic clown Canio in Pagliacci by Leoncavallo.

Then come further extracts from Gigli's famous complete recordings of La Bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, Cavalleria rusticana, Andrea Chénier and Un ballo in maschera, followed by more solo recordings from 1940 onwards, climaxing with a spectacular `Nessun dorma' made in 1949.

Gigli's honeyed tone and his ability to infuse his singing with a great deal of light and shade made him a perfect interpreter of songs, including Neapolitan and Italian popular songs as well as classic ballads. CDs 5 and 6 present a wide selection of this repertoire including such popular ti! tles as `'O sole mio', `La danza', `Mattinata' and `La paloma'.

The final CD begins with some of Gigli's last recordings of popular songs, including the delightful `Papaveri e papere' (`Poppies and ducks') and ends with a live recording of Gigli's farewell concert to an adoring audience at Carnegie Hall, New York, in April 1955 that includes a generous selection of operatic arias and songs from his extensive repertoire.Hollywood favorites Ben Affleck (DAREDEVIL, PAYCHECK, THE SUM OF ALL FEARS) and Liv Tyler (LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, ARMAGEDDON) shine in this heartwarming all-star comedy about a guy who thinks he's lost it all only to discover he's got everything he needs! Ollie (Affleck) is a smooth and successful big-city publicist who has the life he's always wanted -- until things take an unexpected turn and he finds himself an unemployed single father back living with his dad in the suburbs. But just when he thinks his life has hit rock bottom, a sexy, no-nonsense! video store clerk (Tyler) enters his life and shows Ollie tha! t someti mes you have to forget who you thought you were and acknowledge what really makes you happy. Also starring Jason Biggs (AMERICAN PIE) -- director Kevin Smith (JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK) has delivered another hit critics are calling one of the year's funniest!Jersey Girl stars Ben Affleck as a workaholic music executive who loses his wife (Jennifer Lopez) in childbirth and has to raise his newborn daughter with the help of his crotchety New Jersey dad (George Carlin). The movie unspools as if writer-director Kevin Smith, normally a highly self-aware filmmaker (Clerks, Chasing Amy, Dogma), set out to put a fresh spin on every cliché he could imagine (parent forced to choose between child and career; parent rushing to attend school performance; etc.)--then forgot to put in the spin. The scenes that aren't lifeless are implausible (Liv Tyler plays the fantasy girl of every awkward boy's dreams). The only real feeling comes from the strong soundt! rack. However, Raquel Castro, as the daughter, is an uncanny double for Lopez; when the light plays across Castro's cheekbones just so, you'd swear the casting director simply shrunk Lopez for convenience. --Bret Fetzer