It's been a few yers since Madonna's jigh profile performance in Alan Parker's Evita. Since her underated turn in that film, she's had a child and yet another smash hit record titled Ray Of Light. It's sad that this genius business woman makes her return to the big screen in the dishonest and dismal Next Best Thing. Although she hasn't had much of a prosperous film career (Shanghai Surprise quickly springs to mind), Evita seemed to be a big step in the right direction.

Rupert Everett (who made a big splash in My Best Friend's Wedding as well as last year's amusing An Ideal Husband) plays Madonna's best friend (their also friends in real life), a gay man who's always there when ever she gets an emotional scrape. One night after a party, the two become intimate presenting a whole world of problems, the big one being an unplanned pregnancy.

Director John Schlesinger goes for realism with some tough issues but this film never feels serious. Everett and Madonna don't come across as at all likable nor does their friendship feel genuine. The story is also told at a plodding pace and gets more ridiculous as the film moves along. It also does'nt help that what starts off as light comical fare, turns into a lame court room drama.

I guess Schlesinger is trying to say that gay people are perfectly capable of caring for a child, and that's probably true. The problem is, that he so hell bent on making that point, that the Everett character does'nt deserve the child nor does Madonna. In this film, the child would be better off in foster care.

The Next Best Thing is a big mess full of attractive and talented people. It's a stunningly displeasing movie complete with a pretentious walking-off-into-the-sunset ending.