Bounce

Directed by Don Roos, Bounce details the romance that ensues between a slick advertising executive (Ben Affleck’s Buddy) and a recently-widowed real-estate agent (Gwyneth Paltrow’s Abby) – with the coupling threatened by a fairly significant secret involving Abby’s dead husband (Tony Goldwyn’s Greg). It’s an unabashedly melodramatic premise that’s employed to often compulsively watchable effect by Roos, as the filmmaker, armed with his own screenplay, delivers a compelling and periodically affecting endeavor that benefits from the charming efforts of its talented stars – with Affleck and Paltrow’s strong work here, combined with their palpable chemistry together, generally smoothing over the narrative’s sporadic bumps and lulls. (Affleck is occasionally a little out of his depth within the more emotionally-charged sequences, which ensures that Paltrow’s riveting performance remains a highlight within the proceedings.) And although the picture stumbles in its closing stretch, with the inclusion of an entirely needless courtroom sequence dulling the impact of the (admittedly satisfying) conclusion, Bounce is, for the most part, an above-average endeavor that’s generally far more entertaining than one might’ve anticipated.

*** out of ****