On B List of Movie Reviews
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Bounce (2000)
Rate:
5
Viewed:
6/24
6/24:
Bounce is a gimmick movie.
The plot device is an airplane crash. It's just a matter of when and how the guy will break the news to the widowed wife after
he gave his airline ticket to her husband. In between is a lousy script, forcing me to wait a long time for the other shoe to drop.
I don't appreciate the perversion of the whole thing. It's like Buddy Amaral told Greg Janello, "When your plane crashes and kills
you, I will take your wife. All right, man. Have a nice flight." Greg would be like, "Uh...okay. I guess." After Abby finally
finds out, she'll start saying, "Why, God? Why? What sort of a mean trick you've pulled on me? What did I do to deserve this?"
While at it, the director has to pull a cheap move by having Mimi Prager supply the twist when Buddy should be the one to tell
Abby. The irony is that he slept with both women. What a gross thing to think about. Hence, the DVD cover is misleading by amping
it up as a 100% romantic film. Buddy simply took advantage of Abby only because she's emotionally vulnerable. Suppose it doesn't
work out? Then, what Buddy has done is to wreck Abby's one year of work to build herself up.
The performances are okay. Making for an awkward pair, Ben Affleck seems sincere while Gwyneth Paltrow has played the same thing
over and over. How they talk slows the film down a lot. On the other hand, Johnny Galecki overdoes his part while Caroline Aaron
is saddled with a weak supporting character to Abby.
All in all, Bounce doesn't work, thanks to an immature writer who has no understanding of life and tragedy.