REVIEWED BY PETE HENSHAW

BOUNCE would seem to be a film for all those romantics out there featuring a love story with a twist, an Oscar winning actress, and a successful director/writer.

But all of these only manager to deliver a drab romance which is too tear-filled, too over-acted and too stale.

Director/writer Don Roos has enjoyed a glorious moment in the limelight with his last hit, The Opposite of Sex, but this follow-up seems too rushed.

The story follows Buddy Amaral, (Ben Affleck), who meets and falls for Abby Janello, (Gwyneth Palthrow), but there is a small complication.

Buddy had met Abby's husband one year previously at an airport when he gave him the last ticket for the flight so he could see his family at Christmas, only to see the flight crash and the husband die.

So as you can imagine, this is not something Buddy wants to bring up in conversation.

An interesting twist idea, but that is all it pans out to be, with Buddy, who is used to being a rough and ready ad executive, struggling with his conscience and his heart at the same time.

The script struggles throughout the film with scenes tenuously interlinked, and the relationship between Gwyneth and Ben not blending at all.

All the film needs is a better script and two leads with a bit more charisma to make their on-screen partnership work.

If you are in the mood for romancing, then this would probably suffice to get you all red eyed, but be careful as it will not leave you bushy tailed, unless you fancy Gwyneth or Ben of course!

Verdict: REBOUND to do badly

Rating: 3/10

Continuing The GUARDIAN'S weekly Cinema Competition we have another family ticket for the film of your choice at the Odeon in Festival Park, Hanley.

The four tickets, worth £20, will be valid from Monday through until Thursday for a film of the winner's choosing as long as you can get to the theatre yourself.

To enter just answer the following question about this week's film review and send the answer along with a daytime telephone number to The Cinema Comp, Crewe Guardian, 42 High Street, Crewe, CW2 7BN or e-mail crewe@guardiangrp.co.uk with your answer.

Just tell us the name of the film in which the earth was almost destroyed by a rogue meteor only for Ben Affleck and Bruce Willis to save the day.

Deadline for entries is Thursday 25 January and the winner for the January 4, Michelle Yeoh competition is Brenda Morris.