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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
SOMBER ROMANCE, March 12, 2001
This review is from: Bounce (DVD)
While waiting in an airport, Buddy Amarol (Ben Affleck) meets Greg Janello (Tony Goldwyn) a writer. The two men get to talking, and it becomes clear, Greg, wants to get home to see his wife, and kids. Buddy, scheming to have a one-night-stand with Mimi (Natasha Henstridge), also hanging around the airport, decides to be a "nice" guy, and give his plane ticket to Greg. Buddy is stirred out of sleep by sirens, he quickly turns on the television to find out the plane he was supposed to be on has crashed, killing all the passengers. Tormented by what has happened, Buddy turns to booze, eventually landing him in rehab. Once sober, Buddy sets out to meet Abby (Gwyneth Paltrow), the wife of Greg. After a brief stalking period, the two actually talk and begin falling in love. But all is not so perfect for this couple, as a videotape of Buddy and Greg at the airport surfaces, throwing Abby into a state of wonder, and confusion. "Bounce" is not the cute movie the trailer's depicted, but actually a dark love story, that is somewhat creepy. Affleck, and Paltrow are likable in their roles, and they do work well together, but it isn't enough to carry the whole movie. If there is nothing else to watch, "Bounce" will pass the time, but many will come away from the film disappointed. Nick Gonnella
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ben And Gwyneth Get It Right, November 22, 2000
A tragic brush with fate sets a man on a road to self awareness and discovery that drastically alters his perception of himself and the world in which he lives, in "Bounce," directed by Don Roos and starring Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow. In Chicago on business, waiting at the airport for a flight back to L.A. just before Christmas, Advertising Exec/salesman Buddy Amaral (Affleck) gives his ticket to a man he's met that evening in the lounge, Greg Janello (Tony Goldwyn), who's just been bumped from his flight. A writer, in Chicago for the opening (and sadly, the closing) of one of his plays, Janello has a wife, Abby (Gwyneth Paltrow), and two kids waiting for him at home, and is grateful for Buddy's apparent random act of kindness. Far from being a benevolent gesture, however, Buddy's motives are purely self-serving, and have to do with another passenger, Mimi (Natasha Henstridge), who's also been bumped and who has been given accommodations for the night by the airline. It seems that everything has worked out well for all concerned, until later that night, when the news breaks that the plane carrying Janello has crashed somewhere in Kansas, and that there are no survivors. For Buddy, who should have been on that plane, it's an awakening; and for probably the first time in his life he is forced to look inward. And he doesn't like what he finds. His confrontation with the demons within ultimately leads him to Abby Janello, and another unexpected turn in his life. Director Roos has created a richly textured drama that is both captivating and credible; the story is well written (by Roos), developed with precision and expertly paced, which makes it all entirely believable. Much more than a simple love story, it's about a man forced to confront what he sees in the mirror, and how he must cope with what he finds there; and about a young woman with two children, suddenly widowed, who must come to grips with an unsure future while dealing with such a devastating loss. What follows is an examination of a relationship forged by fate and born of need; a fragile, precarious situation at best. And what makes this film so good is the gradual way the relationship between Buddy and Abby is formed, neither hurried nor forced, with a couple of truly poignant moments along the way. And it all rings true, courtesy of a great script, Roos directing and the engaging performances of the stars. Affleck brings real depth to his character, and most importantly, a sense of true sincerity that makes him real; he illuminates Buddy's imperfections to perfection. And Paltrow is absolutely disarming as Abby; gentle and vulnerable to a fault, winsomely charming, and beautifully played. Also, there is a definite chemistry between Paltrow and Affleck that cannot be denied. The supporting cast includes Jennifer Grey (Mrs. Guererro), Joe Morton (Jim), David Paymer (Prosecution Lawyer), Alex D. Linz (Scott) and Johnny Galecki. A touching, memorable movie, "Bounce" is a reflection on the journey of life we all must take; and it makes you realize that it's something you have to work at. It's a film that makes you stop to reconsider choices made in the past, while recognizing that in the end, perhaps love and happiness is the bonus for doing it right.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
THE SIZZLE FIZZLES..., June 9, 2001
This review is from: Bounce (DVD)
The movie starts off promisingly enough. Successful businessman, Buddy Amaral, played by Ben Affleck, leads a shallow, sophomoric existence. Failed playwright, Greg Gennello, played by Tony Goldwyn, is happily married and has a rich family life. Their worlds collide when they meet in an airport and get to talking. Both headed to the same destination, Greg wants to get home to his family but is bumped from his flight, while Buddy wants to miss that very same flight so that he can have a one night stand with a beautiful fellow traveler. In a moment of wild abandon, Buddy gives his ticket to Greg who then boards the plane in his stead. Unfortunately, this act of seeming generosity by Buddy has dire consequences, as the plane crashes and Greg is killed. When Buddy later discovers this turn of events, it is a moment of reckoning for him, and he goes into a personal downward spiral. A year later, after a stint in rehab to get his drinking under control, he seeks out Greg's widow, Abby, played by Gwyneth Paltrow. Still feeling guilty over Greg's death, Buddy seeks redemption by doing something nice for Greg's widow, who, as the single parent of two young boys, is now trying to make ends meet as a real estate agent. He gives her a sizable real estate commission to handle, though she is unqualified, and soon they begin dating and fall in love. At this juncture, Buddy has still not told her that their meeting was not kismet. To make a long story short, Abby discovers, in a rather unpleasant way, the part that Buddy played in Greg having been on that fatal flight. The movie then goes south. What had started out promisingly enough, takes a strange twist. While there is, undeniably, chemistry between the two stars, which explains their off screen romance, their sizzle is not enough to keep this movie on even keel, and the movie begins to flatline. Notwithstanding the eleventh hour fizzle, however, it is still a moderately enjoyable movie.
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