Destiny has always been a popular theme in cinema. From the lighthearted feel of Sleepless in Seattle, to the wonderfully eccentric When Harry Met Sally, to this year's earnestly old fashioned Return to Me. Director Don Roos (Opposite of Sex, Boys on the Side) has decided to take a serious more serious look at destiny with his new film Bounce, a stilted drama that only succeeds part of the time .

Ben Affleck plays an executive who usually gets what he wants at work and in his personal life. While hanging out a sports bar during a delay at the airport he strikes up a conversation with a playwright played by Tony Goldwyn (in a winning, all too brief performance). Goldwyn is in a rush to get home to his wife and kids for the holidays, and Affleck is in no particular hurry because he's busy making the moves on a woman at the bar, so he forfeits his ticket to Goldwyn. Naturally, a fateful event takes place leaving Affleck, and Goldwyn's wife (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) in emotional shambles. Seeking some kind of redemption, Affleck seeks out Paltrow to try and make things right.

Let's start with Paltrow. In a year brimming with lame roles for women, Paltrow emerges as a strong Oscar contender. She plays Abby with an extraordinary strength and vulnerability that really carries this picture. Her breakdown scene early on in the film is so convincing that it's almost hard to watch. She also exudes a warmth that is quite engaging. This is some of her best work.

For Affleck, on the other hand, it's crash and burn, if you'll pardon the pun. Actually, that's a bit harsh. He isn't unwatchable in the film, but his character certainly demands a complexity that is out of the actor's range. The pain this guy is supposed to be feeling is never really apparent, and many of Affleck's teary eyed moments seem forced. He fared better in his dramatic moments in Chasing Amy.

Roos makes some critical errors in his execution as a writer and a director. First of all, some of Bounce doesn't play realistically. For example, the sports bar sequence at the beginning of the film doesn't ring true, because these are characters that just met, yet there is a strange vibe permeating the scene that suggests they already know each other. Also, there is a half baked scene between Affleck and Paltrow's kids, that doesn't reach the drama it's going for, because there is no rapport built between the characters. This results in an emotionless moment that is supposed to be powerful.

Finally, I couldn't stand the fact that Affleck can't find the right moment to reveal his secret to Paltrow. Of course she finds out through another source, and what transpires, is an all too familiar set of circumstances taken from the movie cliche graveyard. It should also be noted that Roos seems compelled to throw many obstacles at his characters such as Affleck's undeveloped bout with alcoholism. On the directing end, Roos can't seem to keep the pacing together. Much of this film, particularly the final act, is plodding and tedious. It's all capped off with an obvious ending.

Roos had a pretty good idea going here, but he only got half of it right. The Paltrow half. It's nice to see a film maker attempt to create some truly complex and adult characters, it's just a shame that he couldn't put them in a more solid scenario. As for Affleck, he's still a talented actor in search of that ideal role. Maybe he'll find it in the form of Michael Bay's Pear Harbor next summer.