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Madonna has left a nanny to care for the Malawian child she is attempting to adopt. The 50-year-old singer - who failed in her initial bid to raise four-year-old Mercy James because she hadn't met the requirements of living in the African country for 18 months - has instructed members of her staff to look after the tot at Kumbali Lodge, where the star stayed during her visit earlier this month.

A source said: "During her farewell party at the lodge, Madonna instructed a nurse and a nanny to remain behind and care for Mercy while her lawyers appeal."

However, Judge Esme Chombo thinks Mercy should return to her orphanage 250 miles away, but that suggestion has been met with criticism from Mercy's guardian and extended family.

Orphanage director Anne Chikhwaza said: "As Mercy's legal guardian I authorize where she goes. She is staying with Madonna's people as a visitor. There is nothing wrong with that.

Watch the latest Inside Reel interview of actor Nicolas Cage on his latest film “Bangkok Dangerous” by directors Oxide Pang Chun (Storm Warriors) and Danny Pang (The Eye) starring Nicolas Cage (The Ghost, National Treasure: Book of Secrets), James With and Charlie Yeung. In this clip Joe played by actor Nicolas Cage narrowly escapes an adrenaline powered gun fight. Plot: The life of an anonymous assassin takes an unexpected turn when he travels to Bangkok Thailand to complete a series of contract killings. Joe (Nicolas Cage), a remorseless hitman, is in Bangkok to execute four enemies of a ruthless crime boss named Surat. Stay tuned to Toxic Shock TV for the latest Bangkok Dangerous movie clips and news.

Watch the latest Spill.com review of the Lionsgate Entertainment latest action thriller “Bangkok Dangerous” by directors Oxide Pang Chun (Storm Warriors) and Danny Pang (The Eye) starring Nicolas Cage (The Ghost, National Treasure: Book of Secrets), James With and Charlie Yeung. Plot: The life of an anonymous assassin takes an unexpected turn when he travels to Bangkok Thailand to complete a series of contract killings. Joe (Nicolas Cage), a remorseless hitman, is in Bangkok to execute four enemies of a ruthless crime boss named Surat. Stay tuned to Toxic Shock TV for the latest Bangkok Dangerous movie reviews, news and clips.

Lionsgate just released this gruesome new movie clip from the upcoming thriller “Bangkok Dangerous” by directors Oxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang starring Nicolas Cage, James With and Charlie Yeung. Plot: The life of an anonymous assassin takes an unexpected turn when he travels to Thailand to complete a series of contract killings. Joe (Nicolas Cage), a remorseless hitman, is in Bangkok to execute four enemies of a ruthless crime boss named Surat. Stay tuned to Toxic Shock TV for the [...]...

This review was written for the theatrical release of "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.""I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" is a "gay" comedy created by straights who want to have it both ways: Hit the audience with a barrage of homophobia and gay jokes yet wind up with an ecumenical, politically correct embrace of all points of sexual orientation. It's the equivalent of that old Jerry Seinfeld bit where he mentions someone is gay but quickly adds, "Not that there's anything wrong with that." We even get the film's star, Adam Sandler, summing up what he has learned from his experiences pretending to be gay: Don't use the word "faggot," he lectures. It's hurtful.

"Chuck & Larry" won't be hurtful at the boxoffice, where Sandler is a highly commercial comedy brand. Straights pretending to be gay can always provoke easy laughs, especially when the movie takes place in a tame, AIDS-free universe where homosexuality simply means an aggressive fashion style. Universal Pictures can anticipate a strong domestic boxoffice; overseas, however, its extremely broad approach to situation comedy might meet resistance.

Sandler and Kevin James (CBS' "The King of Queens") play thoroughly hetero Brooklyn firemen who through a convoluted and unconvincing quirk in civic red tape must pretend to be domestic partners in order for James, a widower, to list his two kids as his life insurance beneficiaries.

Never mind that everyone in their lives knows their sexual orientation, which includes Sandler's infamous bachelor pad that runs hot and hotter babes on a daily basis. No, everyone instantly believes the charade. OK, not everyone: Their chief, played with cut-the-crap bluster by Dan Aykroyd, never buys the act for a minute.

So the pretense commences. The city sends a prissy fraud inspector in Steve Buscemi to inspect their honeymoon pad and rifle through garbage to determine whether it's gay enough. Fellow firefighters quake at the prospect of showering with the two "partners"; and the mailman now feels free to come on to James With a slew of postal service double entendres involving special deliveries and handling big packages.

Predictably, Sandler falls in love with the partners' glamorous attorney, Jessica Biel. Yet he can only enjoy a "girls' day" with her -- you know, shopping, trying on clothes and Sandler groping her breasts to determine that they are real.

The curious thing here is that Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor rewrote this long-in-development screenplay. Yet the authors of such smart comedies as "Sideways", "About Schmidt" and "Citizen Ruth" can't move the film away from the world of easy laughs and sitcom jokes into a realm where sexual prejudices and presumptions get examined in a whimsical yet insightful manner.

One longs for something like Paul Rudnick's script for "In & Out," which was very funny yet delved into the trauma of coming out and the perplexing issue of homophobia in society.

Under the direction of Dennis Dugan, the film seemingly will try anything for a laugh. This includes having James' loutish maid Mary Pat Gleason) wake up in bed with the two men one morning. How logically did she get there?

Some actors -- notably James, Ving Rhames and young Cole Morgan as James' small son who prefers musical comedy to baseball -- appear game for a more challenging comedy. But Sandler, whose own company was one of the producers, prefers to swim in safe, shallow waters rather than plunge into the deeper issues the film so cheerfully ignores.

Production values are strong, though the film lacks visual panache.

I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY

Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures in association with Relativity Media presents a Happy Madison/Shady Acres production

Credits:

Director: Dennis Dugan

Screenwriters: Barry Fanaro, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor

Producers: Adam Sandler, Jack Giarraputo, Tom Shadyac, Michael Bostick

Executive producer: Barry Bernardi

Director of photography: Dean Semler

Production designer: Perry Andelin Blake

Music: Rupert Gregson-Williams

Co-producers: Nick Swardson, Allen Covert, Kevin Grady

Costume designer: Ellen Lutter

Editor: Jeff Gourson

Cast:

Chuck Levine: Adam Sandler

Larry Valentine: Kevin James

Alex McDonough: Jessica Biel

Duncan: Ving Rhames

Clint Fitzer: Steve Buscemi

Captain Tucker: Dan Aykroyd

Renaldo: Nicholas Turturro

Steve: Allen Covert

Running time -- 115 minutes

MPAA rating: PG-13...

I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry is a "gay" comedy created by straights who want to have it both ways: Hit the audience with a barrage of homophobia and gay jokes yet wind up with an ecumenical, politically correct embrace of all points of sexual orientation. It's the equivalent of that old Jerry Seinfeld bit where he mentions someone is gay but quickly adds, "Not that there's anything wrong with that." We even get the film's star, Adam Sandler, summing up what he has learned from his experiences pretending to be gay: Don't use the word "faggot," he lectures. It's hurtful.

"Chuck & Larry" won't be hurtful at the boxoffice, where Sandler is a highly commercial comedy brand. Straights pretending to be gay can always provoke easy laughs, especially when the movie takes place in a tame, AIDS-free universe where homosexuality simply means an aggressive fashion style. Universal Pictures can anticipate a strong domestic boxoffice; overseas, however, its extremely broad approach to situation comedy might meet resistance.

Sandler and Kevin James (CBS' The King of Queens) play thoroughly hetero Brooklyn firemen who through a convoluted and unconvincing quirk in civic red tape must pretend to be domestic partners in order for James, a widower, to list his two kids as his life insurance beneficiaries.

Never mind that everyone in their lives knows their sexual orientation, which includes Sandler's infamous bachelor pad that runs hot and hotter babes on a daily basis. No, everyone instantly believes the charade. OK, not everyone: Their chief, played with cut-the-crap bluster by Dan Aykroyd, never buys the act for a minute.

So the pretense commences. The city sends a prissy fraud inspector in Steve Buscemi to inspect their honeymoon pad and rifle through garbage to determine whether it's gay enough. Fellow firefighters quake at the prospect of showering with the two "partners"; and the mailman now feels free to come on to James With a slew of postal service double entendres involving special deliveries and handling big packages.

Predictably, Sandler falls in love with the partners' glamorous attorney, Jessica Biel. Yet he can only enjoy a "girls' day" with her -- you know, shopping, trying on clothes and Sandler groping her breasts to determine that they are real.

The curious thing here is that Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor rewrote this long-in-development screenplay. Yet the authors of such smart comedies as Sideways, About Schmidt and Citizen Ruth can't move the film away from the world of easy laughs and sitcom jokes into a realm where sexual prejudices and presumptions get examined in a whimsical yet insightful manner.

One longs for something like Paul Rudnick's script for "In & Out," which was very funny yet delved into the trauma of coming out and the perplexing issue of homophobia in society.

Under the direction of Dennis Dugan, the film seemingly will try anything for a laugh. This includes having James' loutish maid Mary Pat Gleason) wake up in bed with the two men one morning. How logically did she get there?

Some actors -- notably James, Ving Rhames and young Cole Morgan as James' small son who prefers musical comedy to baseball -- appear game for a more challenging comedy. But Sandler, whose own company was one of the producers, prefers to swim in safe, shallow waters rather than plunge into the deeper issues the film so cheerfully ignores.

Production values are strong, though the film lacks visual panache.

I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK & LARRY

Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures in association with Relativity Media presents a Happy Madison/Shady Acres production

Credits:

Director: Dennis Dugan

Screenwriters: Barry Fanaro, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor

Producers: Adam Sandler, Jack Giarraputo, Tom Shadyac, Michael Bostick

Executive producer: Barry Bernardi

Director of photography: Dean Semler

Production designer: Perry Andelin Blake

Music: Rupert Gregson-Williams

Co-producers: Nick Swardson, Allen Covert, Kevin Grady

Costume designer: Ellen Lutter

Editor: Jeff Gourson

Cast:

Chuck Levine: Adam Sandler

Larry Valentine: Kevin James

Alex McDonough: Jessica Biel

Duncan: Ving Rhames

Clint Fitzer: Steve Buscemi

Captain Tucker: Dan Aykroyd

Renaldo: Nicholas Turturro

Steve: Allen Covert

Running time -- 115 minutes

MPAA rating: PG-13...

Having previously tackled "The Europeans" and "The Bostonians", the Merchant/Ivory folks revisit Henry James With "The Golden Bowl", a film bearing the outfit's trademark sumptuous production values and exquisite scripting, not to mention an unnecessary long running time that, in the end, does no one any favors.

While in many ways the most literate and rewarding Merchant/Ivory production since 1993's "The Remains of the Day", this finely acted telling of James' obliquely written last completed novel isn't out of line, running time-wise, with many of their other efforts, nor does it come even close to all the three-hour-plus bloat-fests hogging this year's schedule.

But with plotting that contains more passion and less starch than a number of their previous costume dramas, "The Golden Bowl", set in England at the turn of the 20th century, could have had the potential to reach a wider audience with a few prudent snips of the pruning shears.

The setup is certainly juicy enough: Unable to accept the fact that her tryst with Italian Prince Amerigo (Jeremy Northam) is over, the lovely but slyly treacherous Charlotte Stant (Cannes "It Girl" Uma Thurman) has one last rendezvous with the cash-poor aristocrat just prior to his marriage to the sweetly naive Maggie (Kate Beckinsale), the daughter of art-collecting American billionaire Adam Verver (Nick Nolte).

Searching for a wedding present for Maggie, whom Charlotte knew from school, she takes to a guilded crystal bowl in an antique shop, but Amerigo dismisses it as flawed.

Cut to a couple of years later when we find Charlotte gladly accepting a marriage proposal from the lonely Verver, which not only secures her financial future, but, more to the point, puts her in close proximity to her new son-in-law, Amerigo.

Adding to all the potential intrigue, Maggie continues to enjoy a very close relationship with her father, and the two often prefer staying at home with Maggie's young son, leaving Charlotte and the Prince to cavort at social gatherings, convinced that their respective spouses know nothing of their resumed affair.

They prove to be mistaken.

Director James Ivory's impeccably cast and impossibly charismatic ensemble, which also includes Anjelica Huston as card-carrying confidante Fanny Assingham and James Fox as her devoted colonel husband, are uniformly splendid in their respective roles.

As usual, collaborator Ruth Prawer Jhabvala's words are sublime. Whether appropriated from James or of her own very capable hand, they have a rich significance, with inference and innuendo lurking at every turn of phrase.

Ivory's direction, meanwhile, is thoughtfully paced and painstakingly elegant, with cinematographer Tony Pierce Roberts, production designer Andrew Sanders and costume designer John Bright making their uniformly impressive contributions.

But the gold bowl isn't the only thing that proves to have a fatal crack in its otherwise opulent exterior. Despite the film's considerable merit, it all grows a little wearisome after a while, with the characters threatening to wear out their initial welcome.

In the highly detailed Merchant/Ivory universe, less could often mean more.