“Bounce”

Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow star in “Bounce”, a mildly amusing drama. Buddy (Affleck) is a successful exec undergoing a vicious identity crisis. On a whim, he trades airplane tickets with a stranger he meets in a bar who wants to get home early. The airplane crashes, and Buddy, overwhelmed by his brush with death, becomes an alcoholic. After a stint in rehab, he commits to making amends with everyone his habit has affected; this includes the stranger’s widow, Abby (Paltrow). He approaches her with a business proposition, but when she becomes romantically interested, Buddy doesn’t know how to tell her the truth of who he is.

The film has a good story but is poorly executed. Characters who have barely been developed say and do things that don’t make sense because the audience doesn’t really know what kind of people they are. For example, at Buddy’s welcome-back party, he meets a young intern, played by Johnny Galecki, in the restroom. Buddy sees a drink and considers taking a sip when his uppity subordinate rebukes him. Galecki’s character goes on a tirade against Buddy, all but challenging him to relapse. It’s a ridiculous scene with lines an employee, upon meeting his new supervisor, would never say.

However, where the script falters, Paltrow’s performance comes through to save the film. Abby’s a terrific role, whose most obvious trait is her naiveté, which makes her sweet and gentle. While the love story between Buddy and Abby is decent, Paltrow’s performance is worth watching.