Movie Reviews for Bounce

Bounce

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Movie Reviews of Bounce

Movie Review: excellent romantic drama
Summary: 4 Stars

Ben Affleck stars as Buddy Amaral, an arrogant hotshot advertising exec, who, in a rare moment of kindness, offers his seat on an airplane to a young writer desperate to get home to his wife and kids for the holidays. When the man dies in a plane crash, Buddy is suddenly sent on a mission of soul-searching, trying to sort out the complex emotions he is now forced to deal with. When drinking provides no solution, he feels himself compelled to seek out the mans widow, Abby, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, and their two young boys. Buddy keeps his connection with them a secret as he begins to fall in love with Abby and to become a part of their wounded family.

In its bare-boned detailing, the plot may smack a bit of incredibility and contrivance. But thanks to expert writing and directing by Don Ross, every detail in the film feels just right. Take the opening scene, for instance. Ross gives the chance encounter between the two strangers who will be forever tied together by fate the loose, casual, and offhanded quality one finds in real life. Nothing in this film ever seems forced, least of all the romantic feelings these two hurt, vulnerable and attractive people feel for one another. In fact, it is the complexity of the characters that helps Bounce to rise above the superficiality of most films in this genre. In addition to Buddys character-building, we see Abby trying desperately to overcome the bewildering tragedy that has befallen her, unsure of how to deal with her own feelings of loss, guilt and anger that inevitable arise from such a situation.

Affleck and Paltrow bring such an air of thoughtfulness and maturity to their roles that we find ourselves genuinely caught up in their predicament and rooting them on all the way. Its nice for a change to see a romantic film truly centered on a pair of likable grownups as opposed to the superannuated adolescents we usually find in films of this type. Here are flawed, often weak, individuals who nevertheless contain cores of genuine goodness and innate warmheartedness.

The movie also achieves additional depth and weight in its exploration of the vagaries of fate as many of the characters examine the what if scenarios that haunt anyone caught up in a situation like this one.

Bounce is well written, directed and acted. Even those who dont normally go for love stories should definitely check it out.

Movie Review: An excellent B-movie
Summary: 4 Stars

Bounce is a - well, it's hard to say. Tragedy? Rom com? Rehab drama? It has all these elements, and the genre switches as you change focus. Follow the Gwyneth Paltrow character and you could be watching a Sandra Bullock produced woman-getting-back-out-there film. Follow the Ben Affleck character and it's like Gus Van Sant was given a budget. Follow Paltrow's kids and its a drama about fathers. Follow the airline and it's a courtroom drama.

Perhaps it should have been a trilogy. I don't know.

But even though it doesn't have the world's strongest throughline, or indeed a consistent tone, there is a great deal to like. Gwyneth does grief - and it's necessary hesitation at getting back 'out there' on the dating scene - very well. The kids are good. Johnny Galecki steals all the scenes he is in, as Affleck's ex-alcoholic gay assistant. And there is very strong support in relatively tiny roles - Natasha Henstridge as an unblousy one night stand and Jennifer Grey as an ex are both good. I confess the appeal of Affleck largely passes me by, but he is passable in this.

At the end of the film, and for a few days after, I found myself wondering what Don Roos intended, and whether he felt it had worked. I don't know.

But it's nice that he's pushing himself in different styles and genres. Roll on his circus/Martian/kick-boxing/love movie, or whatever it is that he's dreaming of.

Movie Review: MORE THAN A CHICK FLICK
Summary: 4 Stars

Ben Affleck is a successful ad agency salesman and partner. A storm during the Christmas season has many of the commuters at the Chicago airport stranded. Affleck has a ticket on the last flight to leave for L.A. before the weather gets worse, he gives it up to a fellow traveler. The plane goes down and Affleck has to deal with the guilt, eventually leading him to alcohol. A year later he looks up the widow of the man to whom he gave the ticket. He helps her out with her business dealings and then plans to fade away, but a relationship ensues and the rest is an emotional roller coaster with the underlying secret.

First, Affleck is exceptional in this role. I have never been a great fan of his acting abilities but he is strong and moving as Buddy. He convincingly shows his character's weaknesses and guilt. Paltrow is as always solid as a berieved widow cautiously wading into a new relationship. And although the actor's name escapes me, the character of Affleck's assistant adds necessary humor and sarcasm. (He was the boyfriend of the youngest Connor girl on the T.V. show Roseanne).

Despite the fact that the previews for this film gave you the entire plot, the movie still holds interest throughout. You sit in nervous anticipation wondering "when will she find out and how?". Good acting, good script, good actors make this a good movie and not just a chick flick.

Movie Review: A nice, heartwarming film
Summary: 4 Stars

Ben Affleck's portrayal of Buddy as a guilt-laden person trying to make amends & later on falling in love is quite believable; & Gwyneth's acting of Abby as a striving single-mom living in an illusion of being divorced rather than widowed is painful but real.

At a closer look & putting aside the brewing love story between the two, the story has more meat than it meets the eye. It deals with one's loneliness & emptiness even with a very successful career in contrast with the happiness of a complete family despite living in the midst of financial difficulties. It shows us how people try to pick things up & start again from where they have fallen. It shows how death of a loved one affects each & everyone (especially kids). Also, it makes us realize how unbelievably strong a woman can be when you least expect it. More importantly, it speaks of humility & forgiveness, for it is only with these virtues one can fully recover & go on with his life.

Movie Review: Emotive Paltrow & the joys of DVD
Summary: 4 Stars

The pleasant shock about this movie is the emotional range displayed by Gwyneth Paltrow. I recall reviews of her past movies (where one critic noted her crying scenes were tearless with a scrunched-up face, for example).

As Paltrow has matured, she is able to bring to her characters and the screen fully-fleshed emotional characters, like Abby in Bounce...ranging from daft and ditzy to utterly destroyed onscreen. Paltrow is a marvel and I predict without hesitation that when her career is done, she will be remembered as one of the most outstanding in her generation.

In another vein, it should be pointed out that the DVD package is a 2-disk set, the second has one of the most complete set of 'bonuses' I've seen in a DVD.

The deleted scenes alone seem like an additional movie: among these were a poignant scene where Paltrow can't sleep and she ends up reading in the garage in the front seat of her late husband's covertible; several scenes with the kids which would have answered the critics who said they weren't convinced by Paltrow as a Valley mother; and an incredible outtake - the pivotal scene where Mimi (the girl in the airport lounge) and Abby view the video tape together. The changes in Paltrow's face during this scene are astonishing.

For Affleck and Paltrow fans: also a gag reel of goofs and clowning; some nice moments with Affleck and Paltrow interviewing members of the production crew; and much more.