The Bounce Back is too formulaic and plastic

Movie Title:  The Bounce Back

Grade:  C+

Rating: PG-13, 104 minutes

In a Nutshell:  This SUPER predictable rom-com has a good-looking feature couple, but with very little chemistry together.   Their hard bodies are impressive, but this movie is not.  

What was interesting is that it was the men in the audience who did all of the laughing.

Uplifting theme: 

• “What is love?  Is it a feeling?  A commitment? A live-happily-ever-after pill?  I like to think it’s a choice.” – Matthew Taylor (Shemar Moore)
• “Love is the most beautiful thing we can experience in this world.” - Matthew
• “Communicate, associate, empathize.” – Kristin Peralta (Nadine Velazquez)
• ‘People deserve a balanced perspective.” – Matthew Taylor  
• “Create the love you want for yourself.” – Matthew
• “Live into your future. Focus on the future.” - Matthew

Things I liked:

• I like the idea of an intellectual debate between the two main characters, although the conversations don’t ever go very deep.  I liked the discussion about how realistic these “self-help” gurus are or if they just say what we want to hear while they sell millions of “feel-good books.” 
• Sheryl Underwood plays herself as a talk show host.
• I’ve liked Rizwan Manji ever since I first saw him in the sitcom “Outsourced” and wish we could see him in more films.
• I like the theme that love is a choice.  Choosing to keep a marriage happy is about commitment.  Allowing yourself to be vulnerable enough to fall in love with someone is a choice.

Things I didn’t like:

• Nadine Velazquez is beautiful, but looks and acts really plastic in this movie.  You feel her acting, rather than feel her.  I was surprised, because I liked her in the sitcom My Name is Earl: Season 3 
• There is a distracting amount of SUPER white teeth and fake body parts.
• Matthew Taylor and Kristin Peralta’s first kiss was painful to watch.  No chemistry.  Blah.
• Matthew’s ex-wife, played by Denise Boutte, is always super dressed up when she comes to the door.  Yeah, like that’s what normal people look like when they’re home doing dishes.
• Bad and choppy editing.
• It’s more rom than com; there are very few things to laugh at.
• Bill Bellamy’s character is so over-the-top that he feels like a cartoon character, especially compared to the other actors who are trying to be more dramatic.
• I had never seen any trailers for this movie before it played in the theater, so I picked it based off the description that Matthew was an author.  I've gone on book tours with my books, so I thought that aspect of the movie might be interesting and relatable to me.  Unfortunately, the movie is more about the drama between Matthew and Kristin.
• Kristin is supposed to be a therapist.  Aren't therapists supposed to listen more than talk?  She does an awful lot of talking and bashing, rather than listening.
• I've read a lot of movie reviews of this film by people who really liked it, but I left disappointed.

Interesting lines:

• “My book isn’t about grieving, but creating.” - Matthew

Funny lines:

• “Just because you have a voice in your head doesn’t make you a psychic.” – Kristin

Tips for parents: 

• Pre-marital sex, talk of teens having sex, and inappropriate jokes.
• There are a lot of skimpy clothes on various women.  You see Nadine Velazquez in nothing but her underwear and bra as she climbs all over a shirtless Shemar Moore in bed.

@trinaboice