Jolie next starred opposite Antonio Banderas as his mail-order bride in "Original Sin" (2001), the first of a string of films that were poorly received by critics and audiences alike. "The New York Times" critic Elvis Mitchell questioned Jolie's decision to follow her Oscar-winning performance with "soft-core nonsense." The romantic comedy "Life or Something Like It" (2002), though equally unsuccessful, marked an unusual choice for Jolie. "Salon" magazines Allen Barra considered her ambitious newscaster character a rare attempt at playing a conventional women's role, noting that her performance "doesn't get off the ground until a scene where she goes punk and leads a group of striking bus workers in singing 'Satisfaction'". Despite her lack of box office success, Jolie remained in demand as an actress; in 2002, she established herself among Hollywood's highest-paid actresses, earning $10–$15 million per film for the next five years.