Afflecktion

FORCES OF NATURE

Directed by Bronwen Hughes

Starring Sandra Bullock, Ben Affleck, Maura Tierney

Dreamworks Pictures

Mother Nature can be quite unmerciful.

Yet when all her intensity is focused on one largely unfortunate soul, we can't help but enjoy a few laughs at Ben Affleck's expense.

Though he hasn't quite shed the irksome attitude of movies past, Affleck is quite a charmer in his latest role as a free-lance jacket copyrighter being put to the loyalty test in Forces of Nature. He plays New Yorker Ben Holmes, a loving fiance and nervous flyer. On the way to his wedding in Savannah, unexpected forces of nature-perhaps a few too many-transform what should've been a three-hour flight into a two-day adventure.

Enter Sarah (Sandra Bullock), an eccentric young woman who literally falls into his arms after a plane crash. Having unwittingly acquired an outlandish traveling companion and determined to avoid planes, the distressed groom-to-be heads towards Georgia to meet his anxious fiance Bridget (Maura Tierney). Ben just wants to get to Savannah (or does he?). Sarah's determined to show him what it's like to live on the edge. Not surprisingly, they kiss somewhere along the way.

Woven into a disastrous traveling experience are surprisingly cynical comments about marriage. The idea of being joined in holy matrimony seems repulsive to Ben's best friend Alan (Steve Zahn) who, along with almost everyone else the hapless groom encounters, urges him to think twice about being "tied down" to one person for the rest of his life. Watching his own grandfather (who suffered a heart attack after Ben's bachelor party stripper came just a bit too close) convince him against marriage is perhaps one of the more disturbing experiences of this movie.

The story goes on, with brief escapades involving Kmart, a bagel shop, Bridget's old flame, a hurricane and oh--did I mention stripping? Often, we are left wondering just how long two days can really be.

There are definite moments where it's painful to watch Ben being side-tracked en route to Bridget, especially because she's so anxious for his arrival. A few of these scenes serve to highlight the few qualities we hoped Affleck had left behind with Shakespeare In Love and Armageddon, but overall, Ben's not bad. As for his bride, one does doubt the decision to continue wedding preparations a few minutes before the ceremony without the presence of a groom, but the scenery is definitely a worthy distraction from her irritating parents.

Though Ben's the one we should be swooning over, it's Sarah that captures your heart. Forces isn't exactly the high point in Bullock's career, but it's a bit more daring than her usual romantic comedy. Her portrayal of a fun-loving and impulsive free-spirit has much appeal for an audience who last saw her in the silly Hope Floats and the dreadful Practical magic. Sarah's dynamic perspectives and passion for living make for an enchanting character role. However, as convincing a rebel as she may be, Bullock's trademark beauty and genuine nature show through. Funky make-up and an off-kilter personality can't hide the underlying sincerity she brings to many of her films.

Despite the somewhat predictable plot, Affleck and Bullock make a cute, if not slightly mismatched, couple. Their natural chemistry may even leave some wishing for a few more catastrophes. However, while watching Forces of Nature, one has to question the odds of a plane crash, hailstorm, fire and hurricane all happening to two people within the span of 48 hours. Not to mention being wrongfully picked up by the police as accessories to the burglary of a car and for possession of narcotics.

Ah well. At least Sarah knows her Miranda rights.