Forces of Nature

Marriage is systematically rubbished in this modern romantic comedy, the message being, don't even think of it unless you want to go to sleep for the rest of your life.

Ben (Ben Affleck) is flying from New York to Savannah to marry Bridget (Maura Tierney) at one of those lavish Southern weddings, when he meets Sarah (Sandra Bullock) at the airport and things start going awry. The plot turns into Planes, Trains & Automobiles, with Bullock taking the John Candy role. Sarah is a positive force, Ben a negative one. She enjoys risk, goes for the burn, tries anything, never says never. He worries, rings base (Bridget), imagines the worst and has no imaginative ideas.

It is Mr Straight and Mz Kooky on the road. Will he abandon his true love for a twice married table dancer? Will a hurricane blow the wedding guests to kingdom come? Does everyone marry the wrong person and regret it in their own good time?

Sarah has had an interesting life, always on the run from convention and chastity. She knows about pitfalls and pratfalls. Ben has had a dull life. You can tell by his bachelor party. The stripper scares him rigid. He doesn't write books. He writes the blurb for books. In the fascinating stakes, on a scale of 1 - 10, he rates 2.

Bullock has played nice so long, she has definitely acquired grown-up status. Sarah stretches those irresponsible muscles. It suits her. Affleck still can't match his performance in Chasing Amy. Maybe it's the flat-ironed haircut that kills passion. Ben is a hell of a role. He has to be sexy and sensible at the same time. You don't hate him. You just don't care enough.