3 out of 10
 

Just as "Niagara" made Marilyn Monroe, so this should have been Sandra Bullock`s film. Like Monroe, she turns in a sparkling performance as Sarah, a free-wheeling, loveable girl-next-door you just want to cuddle, whose trying to romance an unintended and unplanned traveling companion, Ben, on his way to get married. Yet, regrettably, it`s not HER film, but one of Dreamworks - if it`s working, you’re just dreaming - and like a real life Niagara, Bullock`s talent just gushes off a elluloid cliff and into this bottomless pit of a movie. (Sandra, get yourself a new agent!)

At the start, Sarah and Ben are literally thrown together when their airplane has a seagull fly into an engine. Not only does the death of the bird rob the film of the only talent amongst the supporting cast, but it is clear in hindsight that it`s here that this celluloid turkey crash lands along with the aircraft, never to fly again. From then on, Bullock tries her best to create a chemistry with Ben, an emotionless tailor`s dummy that the casting list assure us is played by Ben Affleck, an actor whose wooden performance has been tediously carved out of a cheap, job-lot of plywood off cut.

For Dreamworks, a company part owned by Microsoft’s Bill Gates, the temptation to pump in a ton of inappropriate software graphics and computer-guided camera work into a light romantic comedy was clearly too much and the movie has enough special effects to put a "Star Wars" epic to shame. I have to admit scenes like the hail storm are very watch able, if irrelevant to the non-existant story, but neither this nor Bullock`s outstanding performance can make up for apparently giving the studio`s illiterate tea boy, his big break in unsupervised script writing.

To give them their due though, Dreamworks, as usual, provided an ending that`s not inappropriate with no plot, no script and manned by a gang of talent less stooges, seemingly rounded up outside the studio half an hour before filming, for they provide a truly irritating anti-climax that’s worthy of such rubbish.