Director: Don Roos
Starring: Ben Affleck,Gwyneth Paltrow,Tony Goldwyn,Jennifer Grey
I’m going to skip all the crap and get right to the point here: Bounce
basically sucked. I’ve been waiting since the summer to see this movie, and
the trailers pretty much ruined it. You know that line in all the previews, “I
want a last call of the day,” that wishes it could be “You had me at hello”?
Well, guess what, it’s not. It’s not even close to that line, and I
sincerely hope it doesn’t become a catch phrase. Basically, Ben tells Gwyneth
that he wants a “last call of the day” because she can’t figure out
whether he actually wants to be with her or not. Guess what, though? She still
pursues him. Sound like a certain Tom Cruise movie? Writer Don Roos (The
Opposite of Sex) only wishes. However, whether contrived or not, all the
problems can’t be blamed on the writing and directing. Because besides the
somewhat maudlin script, the dialogue was engaging enough to carry the movie,
but something obviously went wrong in post-production, which might be a clue as
to why the movie was released four months after it was supposed to be.
Here’s the plot in a nutshell: Ben is a womanizer. He gives up his seat on
the last plane out to Gwyneth’s husband (Tony Goldwyn) so he can have a
one-night stand with Natasha Henstridge. Tony dies when the plane crashes.
Insert Alanis Morrisette song here. Ben becomes an alcoholic and almost loses
his sleazy job at an ad agency. A year later, after rehab, he seeks out Gwyneth
to “make amends” or whatever he’s supposed to do. Ben tells Gwyneth that
he wants a last call of the day, but fails to mention that he’s the guy that
gave her husband the seat on the plane. She believes him. Ben and Gwyneth kiss.
Ben and Gwyneth have sex. Insert tabloid article here. An hour later, she finds
out the truth. They cry. We cry. They fall in love. The end.
If you think I gave away the ending in that little summary, don’t worry,
because I’m sure you knew that anyway, right? The movie contains all your
typical romance stuff, which would be fine, because chick flick suckers like me
would be sucked in with no problems. Only there is a problem here. The film
misses the mark by that crucial half a second that distinguishes a good romance
from a bad romance. Although we are pretty convinced they are in love for most
of the movie (after all, they are Ben and Gwyneth), Bounce lacks that
moment when the characters click, the fireworks go off, and the music swells in
the background. Ben and Gwyneth click during the whole movie, but more like old
friends (which they are), and their relationship pretty much stays static. Other
than the beautiful stars (and how beautiful they are), it makes for a fairly
boring romance.
Despite all its flaws, here are some reasons to go see this movie: Ben
Affleck is hot. You find out that yes, if she tries hard enough, not only can
Gwyneth act, but she actually can speak like an American. Ben Affleck
cries. Jennifer Grey (Dirty Dancing) makes a short appearance. Ben
Affleck takes off his shirt (although the rest of the one sex scene is really
lame). The annoying kid from Jerry Maguire is not in it. Renee Zellweger
is not in it. Did I mention that Ben Affleck is hot? If for no other reason,
just go see it for the beautiful people. Isn’t that what Hollywood is all
about after all?
