BOUNCE Directed by: Don Roos Kansas sure is getting a lot of attention in the films this year. The Big Kahuna takes place in a Wichita hotel, Nurse Betty starts off in a small Kansas town, and in Bounce a plane crashes in a wheat field in the one state where there's lots of wheat fields, Kansas. One hour south of Topeka to be exact. But who cares about wheat fields when you have Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow in the movie. Who really cares about plane crashes or wheat fields? I liked Bounce, but not for the reasons most will. The dialogue was realistic, and the cinematography was above average for the genre in which Bounce is put into. My biggest quip is not with Gwyneth Paltrow. She's a wonderful actress, and yes, she's has a face molded for the big screen. Even when she's trying to be ugly and depressed after her husband dies, she's still finds a way to look beautiful. But it's Buddy that I couldn't stand. Buddy is played here by Ben Affleck, and if you haven't caught on yet, Ben Affleck can't act, let alone in a serious role. What could have been a wonderful romantic tragedy turns into tragic romance thanks to Mr. "hey, could you put some more eyedrops under my eyes please, I'm crying here!!" The film is rather simple in its concept. Husband dies thanks to Buddy and his hormones, and then Buddy tries hooking up with the widow of the dead husband. He lets her sell him some real estate along the way too. Buddy sure is a nice guy. But we have to feel sorry for Buddy because he's a recovering alcoholic. There's a 30 second montage of Buddy drinking in the shower and laying on the couch, and one scene of him drunk and out of control at the Clio Awards. Who isn't drunk at the Clios? But his feelings are hurt too about letting the husband die. So why does he want to sleep with Abby, the widow? Because he's emotionless, and the screenplay I'm sure emphasized on that, but Affleck doesn't make him that way. He's too busy looking pretty to worry about his acting. There's times when you can sense the smile under the frown, and laughter in the tears instead of pain. Don Roos, who directed the wonderful indie flick The Opposite of Sex, doesn't push the actors enough here. Paltrow pulls her roll off because she doesn't need the eye drops to cry. Her emotions feel real to the audience. But that Affleck kid, damn him. The kid can't act!! Wake up People Magazine!! Wake up Entertainment Weekly!! Wake up GQ!! Give Affleck the ax, or give me my $7 back. But if you are just looking for a nice romance, and you're not a cynic like myself, Bounce is quite the treat. |
Page Created and maintained by
Dave Gunn ©®