Madonna's cinema flop is swept away

Madonna’s disastrous new movie Swept Away will not be released in the UK because it has been such a box office flop in the US, it was announced today.

The film, directed by her husband Guy Ritchie, was savaged by the critics and has taken barely $600,000 (€600,000) since its release last month.

It had been due to hit British cinema screens in March but will now go straight to video.

“Following the disappointing box office results in the US, Guy Ritchie’s Swept Away will not be released theatrically in the UK,” a Columbia Tristar spokesman said.

Swept Away took only $350,000 (€350,000) on its opening weekend and the critics were merciless.

Rolling Stone magazine called it “a shipwreck” and the Washington Post said the film was “as awful as you’ve heard and as bad as you’ve imagined”.

One reviewer wrote: “At no point should anyone mistake this for an actual movie.”

In the film Madonna plays a “rich bitch” American who makes life miserable for a lowly Italian sailor, played by Adriano Giannini, on her luxury yacht.

The pair then find their relationship turned upside down when they are shipwrecked together on an island.

A spokeswoman for the star said she had no comment on today’s announcement.