Customer Reviews

Bounce

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

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

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.

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.

I saw this in theatres because it looked good and it was. I liked this Ben and Gwyneth did good the deleted scences were good and the gag reel (bloopers) so this is worth watching.

BOUNCE, directed by Don Roos (The Opposite of Sex), marks a surprising turn to romance and even for the poignant take on surviving the pain of losing your beloved ones to fate. Gwyneth Paltrow plays Abby, who grapples with the agony of losing her husband Greg to a fateful aircrash. Never she expected that her husband had exchanged plane tickets with Buddy (played by Ben Affleck) who wanted a one-night stand with a newfound attraction Mimi (Natasha Henstridge). The romance aside, BOUNCE delves deeply into the characters' psyche - the isolation of Abby and how she saves a woman from her embarrassment with the toilet roll; Buddy recovering from guilt to bounce back with courage and direction to steer clear of his aimless life as a advertising executive.

Among the cast, Paltrow shines luminously. She portrays Abby with grief and angst and her vulnerability is conveyed with her fragile frame. Affleck still needs polishing in his expression though. The bittersweet romance is tinged with genuine sadness and forgiveness and their chemistry is bolstered, perhaps from real life to reel life.

BOUNCE is a movie that is more laudable for its honest and unpretentious take on demise and departure; its romance element is secondary. Finely acted by Paltrow, it is a movie that is worth your time even though some parts may be a little slow-moving.

Bounce is an utterly winning romantic drama, replete with an intriguing storyline, believable characters and honest emotions.

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.

I know that I kind of shouldn't, but I kind of like this movie. Granted, I haven't seen it in some time, but my memories of it are fond. I can admit that not a lot about this movie makes sense outside of movie-world-make-believe, but the packaging is well wrapped and what is inside has enough going for it to make it forgivable even if it isn't believable.

That's called good acting.

The film follows a selfish and arrogant (albeit successful) ad exec that trades places with a beat down family man venturing home. I don't mean they `trade places', I mean that they literally `trade places'. Wanting to stay behind and get some tail, Buddy (our self centered executive) lets Greg (our family man) have his seat on the next flight back home. When that said plane crashes and Greg dies, Buddy goes a little crazy. What happens next is a tad odd yet strangely understandable. Buddy, after going in and then getting out of rehab, decides to place himself inside Greg's widow's life. He feels so guilty for Greg's death that he wants to shred away his selfishness and do something right, although his actions could be considered selfish as well (a theme I really wish had a little more depth here).

Here's why I understand despite the fact that it essentially doesn't make sense. Having met Greg, heard his story and had that personal connection to him, I can see why Buddy feels responsible. He had a face to go with the name. His actions (giving Greg the ticket) were selfish (if he didn't want the tail he would have never given Greg the ticket) and so he wanted to find some peace. That said, if he had gotten on the plane he would have died at the hands of his own selfishness anyways, so it's a tad lose-lose here.

At the heart of this preposterous yet surprisingly touching film is a gloriously tapered performance by the beautiful Gwyneth Paltrow. With a complete understanding of her character (inside and out), Paltrow delivers the type of performance that elevates an entire film. While the character itself is rather clichéd (grieving widow) there is a lot that can be done with this character in order to make it breathe, and Gwyneth does that. Sadly, the ending of the film kind of disregards Abby's credibility, but that's how things go with films of this nature. Ben Affleck is also rather well suited for this film. He plays arrogance well, and shockingly he also plays conflicted and tormented well. We all know he is a charming leading man so he kind of nails every layer of Buddy (even if the layers don't all make sense).

In the end, it is the films sentimental charm that makes it a must see. Like I've mentioned, there are a lot of things here that shouldn't work, but for some reason they all do. I'd watch this film again and again and enjoy it every time.

I loved this movie! The characters are believable, and fun to watch. The story is sad, but there are uplifting moments. the child actors are great, and add to the film.

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.

Ben is one of my favorite actors...but this film was not one of his best...but it was not terrible...I have to give him that! The plot was interesting, but very unbelievable to say the least!! I found Gwenyth's character to be just a down right bleep!! I have a problem with the fact that Buddy decides he is going to do whatever he can to find this poor widow, and tracks her down...STALKER!! Falls in love??? Please!! But I have to say that Ben's character (Buddy) poured his heart out to this ungreatful Abby!!
Abby lies about her husband death...claims they got divorced...just cause it sounds better...and "everyone is divorced". BLAH!! Save it baby!! But when Buddy tells her something...the story changes!! I am not saying that this picture is a waste of time to watch...but just be aware that the script is not consistent. Good actors...with little to work on...have to agree with other reviews (for the most part).