You won't go far in the comedy genre without realising that the
fundamentals of relationships are key to the proceedings and drive the
narrative towards its resulting laughs and eventual conclusion. One
particular film that burrows deep into relationships at this year's
London Film Festival is The Bounceback, as we tackle the lives of four close friends all experiencing troubles in their own love lives.
Cathy (Ashley Bell) and Stan (Michael Stahl-David) were once a happy couple living together and enjoying every moment with one another. The same could be said for Jeff (Zach Cregger) and Kara (Sara Paxton),
but things have changed and now the two couples are no longer in their
pairings, instead tip-toeing around with their friends and avoiding
their dreaded exes.
That is until Cathy heads to Texas to visit
Kara, and Jeff decides to brave a reunion with her via a convenient
same-timed visit to his best friend Jeff. With the four all in the same
state together and their determination to avoid one another slowly
coming to a peak, it is only a matter of time before they will have to
address the issues at hand and come to some resolution.
The Bounceback
is one of those comedies that is warm, funny and provides a decent 90
minutes entertaining without becoming too strenuous or tedious. The main
reason for this is in its foursome running the show from the very off;
two very different pairs that work extremely well as a dynamic. On one
side, the more reserved and softer individuals in Ashley Bell's Cathy
and Michael Stahl-David's Stan, while the other pairing of Zach
Cregger's Jeff and Sara Paxton's Kara are brilliantly wild, crazy and
unpredictable.
These are four friends who are simply connectable
in every single way; their relationship troubles something that many of
us will relate to, and the instance of new people coming into their
lives also very true to life in the way it is presented. While the
couple of Bell and Stahl-David are particularly focused on as the main
protagonists, it is in fact our 'side' couple that have the best
moments.
While Jeff's obsession and desire to win at the air sex
championships may seem a little odd and unsettling, his whole persona
and one-liners are at the core of what makes The Bounceback as funny as
it is. That and the brilliance of Sara Paxton, whose self-confessed
slutty Kara is a great character for the brilliant actress to let her
hair down. With various colours in her hair and a willingness to cause
mayhem, Kara is everything a rebellious woman is about and her putdowns
and actions represent hilarity in the picture.
Director Bryan Poyser has
obviously drawn from real-life situations for the film as it feels
refreshingly realistic in its approach with not only the characters but
also particular scenarios. Whether it be a text exchange between Stan
and new girl Haley (Addison Timlin) or a 'bros before
hoes’ argument rumbling among friends, these are all moments in the film
that instantly click that button in the mind and draw you in to the
events unfolding.
Poyser knows his audience and for the most part
gives them what they need, but at times it does feel like it needs a
little kick of inspiration to make the film something refreshingly
original. At times, it does feel like this is the kind of film where you
already know the final outcome of the story and also require a few more
laughs, but for the most part The Bounceback is a reliable horse to
back for satisfaction.
It's not a ground-breaking comedy by any means but The Bounceback
is a fun and laugh-worthy ride in the world of relationships. Sara
Paxton is the star of the show but credit must go to the whole cast as
they comfortably breeze through and give the audience something to smile
about.
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