I saw Bounce.
It is not that Don Roos can't direct. "The Opposite of Sex" was one of the funnier comedies in the last ten years. But he had a very funny script, very strong comedic talents and, ultimately, something to say.
Bounce, on the other hand, is not a comedy. It is a drama. A dull, boring drone of a drama. Ben Affleck gives his plane ticket to Tony Goldwyn, who thereafter goes down on the plane. Affleck is affected, he stalks Goldwyn's widow Gwyneth Paltrow out of guilt, a relationship ensues and breakthrough scene after breakthrough scene follows.
The problems are several. First, Affleck cannot carry a dramatic movie. As a romantic lead, he has one move (the eyes welling with tears; the set jaw). He played the move in the Sandra Bullock vehicle. He abuses it in Bounce. Affleck is a light comedian, and, in fact, he is the reincarnation of the best friend actor of the 40s. But they are ramming him down throats as a lead, and he is weak. Matt Damon can lead, sometimes, tenuously, but it is there. Affleck is Ronald Reagan. He can occasionally rise to the occasion, but he is no more than a big, good-looking lightstepper. 15 minutes screen time, tops.
Worse, Paltrow, who can do drama, is weighed down by a script that requires her in EVERY SCENE to lament her dead husband. This gives the relationship between her and Affleck an eerie quality. She comes off as mentally unbalanced, even more so when she is angry.
Roos does what he can, but the material is lame and the players are not up to it.
A sheeny dud. Grade: D+.
