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Acting
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Directing
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Story
Starring: Ben Affleck, Sandra Bullock, Maura Tierney
Director: Bronwen Hughes
Running Time: 105 mins
Forces Of Nature is an American film about a man who meets a woman that changes his life, after having been in a plane accident on takeoff on the way to his wedding.
I rather liked this movie. An entertaining romantic comedy that both leans on the tropes of the genre and subverts a few of your expectations, Forces Of Nature counts on two great performances from Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock along with stylistic directing and good humour to deliver an enjoyable watch throughout.
First things first, this is one of those films which looks just as predictable as all romantic comedies out there. Following a man soon to be married meets a woman who turns his world upside down, the story is hardly the world’s most original.
However, where Forces Of Nature really succeeds is in its ability to both play to those predictable rom-com tropes and subvert your expectations about them too. It’s a fine line that the film walks really nicely, proving both a refreshing and enjoyably familiar watch throughout.
Particularly in the film’s closing stages, the screenplay’s commitment to changing up the most generic tropes of romantic comedies is evident, and it makes for a really satisfying conclusion to what I found to be a thoroughly enjoyable film.
Along with its entertaining story, much of the fun factor in Forces Of Nature comes from the fantastic lead performances by Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock. The pair work really well together in roles that are almost the reverse of their most common Hollywood personas, with Affleck a sheltered and often timid man and Bullock the outlandish but also deeply complex woman who pairs him on a trip across the United States.
Their chemistry is second to none, and you really buy into the film’s obvious attempts to pair them up as the date of Affleck’s wedding nears. Their prospective romance is far from predictable, and the immense likability that both have makes it an absolute joy to watch them grow closer together as the story unfolds.
Affleck and Bullock are certainly the stars of the show here, but one thing that also really stands out about Forces Of Nature is its style. Director Bronwen Hughes really goes all out with a distinctly late ’90s style that sometimes adds so much to the film, and sometimes goes a little too far.
For one, there are a couple of hyper-stylised scenes in this film that seem really jarring at first, but are actually some of the most memorable and enjoyable moments of the whole movie.
Occasionally, the film does go a little too far with its stylised visuals, but there are moments when it hits a real sweet spot that makes it stand out as more than just another romantic comedy, which I loved to see.
Overall, I really enjoyed Forces Of Nature. A solid romantic comedy that both plays on genre tropes and manages to subvert them, the film features great performances, good humour, genuine heart and even a bit of memorable cinematic style. So, that’s why I’m giving it a 7.4.
