In Contention

Tag: Jennifer Lopez

  • FRIDAY FORECAST: A bunch of ‘Losers’

    *All historical figures cited are adjusted to today’s dollars.

    Jennifer Lopez hasn’t been on screen since “El Cantante” in 2007 and hasn’t toplined a romantic comedy since “Monster-in-Law” in 2005. That’s a long, five year gap and it’s no surprise that J. Lo is returning to the only genre that has brought her success to make a comeback. Unless you count “Anaconda,” which I don’t, because obviously, the real star of that movie was Owen Wilson.

    But now she’s back with “The Back Up Plan,” a hilarious comedy about first dates and due dates. And kooky lesbians having natural birth parties and playing bongos. Lopez will get no help courting audiences from her male co-star, who is completely unknown to anyone who isn’t an enormous fan of “Whiteout” or “The Invisible.”

    She is getting a lot of help from CBS Films, who are promoting the living piss out of the movie, despite seeing no return for similar efforts with “Extraordinary Measures.” The trailers are weak, the premise is ridiculous and the leading actress is on the decline. So why do I get a horrible feeling that this will actually do alright? The market is a wasteland at the moment and romantic comedies are nowhere to be found so I think this one may walk away with $11 million or so.

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  • “Nothing that’s shitty is going to make $100 million.”

    Jennifer LopezJennifer Lopez, in an Elle interview, on why “Maid in Manhattan” and “Monster-in-Law” are actually “very layered movies.” Oh, Jennifer.

    I’m rather enjoying Lopez’s recent rewriting of her career history. Perhaps you caught her statement last week on her supposedly scandalous Oscar snub for “El Cantante”:

    I feel like I had that [Oscar worthy role] in ‘El Cantante,’ but I don’t think the Academy members saw it … It is a little bit frustrating. When the Oscars were on, I had just given birth on the 22nd, and the Oscars I think were a day or two later. I was sitting there with my twins — and I couldn’t have been happier — but I was like ‘How dope would it have been if I would’ve won the Oscar and been here in my hospital bed accepting the award?

    Just like those neglectful Academy members, I never saw the film, so I’m not judging. But the days of her really rather excellent work in “Out of Sight” feel very distant, don’t they?