Forces of Nature

Forces of Nature is no match for the forces of formula, DreamWorks Studio style -- this is a strained exercise in generic whimsy and cute platitudes, and the only natural moments come from computer-generated clouds. Ben Affleck, seriously overdrawn on his Good Will account, plays Ben, a "jacket copywriter" (i.e., blurbmeister for bestsellers) off to marry Bridget (Maura Tierney) at her family's palatial Savannah estate. Sandra Bullock pushes perkiness to the point of paroxysm as Sarah, a free spirit off to the same destination to divorce her husband or sell her bagel shop or meet her kid or something. Ben and Sarah meet at the airport, and what follows is a rehash of Planes, Trains and Automobiles but with less sexual chemistry. Mishaps, a threatening hurricane, and a stop at a South Carolina gay strip joint (no Full Monty, this) pass the time; yet despite all the exertion and the arty shots of raindrops, the final impression is one of inertia. The only hope is the gathering storm, but that fallacy too proves pathetic. At the Showcase, Starcase, Tri-Boro, and Woonsocket cinemas.
-- Peter Keough