The Proposal reviewed
The Proposal certainly isn’t one of those movies you need rush out and see before it vanishes from the cinema circuit. You could quite easily wait for the DVD release, and not regret skipping it on the big screen. After all, although charming and enjoyable, this romantic comedy is still lightweight fluff that refuses to veer away from predictability.
Given the age gap between its 2 leads, Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, The Proposal understandably, and sensibly, reverses character roles. Bullock is Margaret Tate, an icy, ruthless career woman – and one of the top editors in New York City – who has for the past 3 years made life an anxious, belittling hell for her assistant, Andrew (Reynolds), who has long dreamt of a career in publishing.
When Margaret faces deportation back to Canada for breaking her visa conditions, she and Andrew enter an unconventional agreement, laced with blackmail – if he marries her to give her US citizenship, she’ll finally give him the job he’s always wanted. Of course, to make the sham marriage look credible to a highly suspicious immigration agent, Margaret and Andrew jet off to Andrew’s hometown in rural Alaska to celebrate his grandmother’s 90th birthday and announce their engagement to Andrew’s family.
Given its storyline, The Proposal could have been incredibly silly. Fortunately though, the filmmakers keep the movie just within the border of believability, with the exception of 2 ridiculous scenes involving Bullock – one a fight with an eagle over a puppy, and the other an embarrassing gangsta rap and booty-waving dance sequence. Ultimately, The Proposal feels like a toned down, less wacky cousin to What Happens in Vegas, with 2 very different characters who intensely dislike each other, but are forced to fake a relationship for their mutual benefit.
What really works in The Proposal’s favour is its performances. Of the leads, Sandra Bullock is required to play more of a caricature. She’s the emotionally aloof ball-buster feared by her staff, but her actions are hardly the stuff of The Devil Wears Prada. Bullock’s Margaret treats people with disdain and struts around stiffly but the audience is very soon aware that beneath the character’s brittle exterior lies a secret, soft core she’s been hiding for decades. Returning to the romantic comedy genre after a 4 year absence, Bullock is apparently game for anything, including an extended sequence in which in the actress is almost completely naked.
Ryan Reynolds, female fans will no doubt be pleased to know, also has several opportunities to show off his toned torso in The Proposal. However, it’s his performance as a whole that is the real surprise. With Van Wilder, Waiting, Blade III, and several other films, Reynolds has developed the screen persona of a charming slacker with a cocky attitude and very smart mouth. In The Proposal, he casts aside the wisecracks and relaxed attitude to play a distinctly normal, but nonetheless likeable guy. Reynolds’s Andrew is a hard worker who is tired of stoically enduring abuse from his boss, as well as his father, who disagrees with his literary career choice.
Backing up Reynolds and Bullock is a highly appealing supporting cast, headed by Craig T. Nelson and Mary Steenburgen, who could convincingly pass for Reynolds’s parents in real life. Then there’s Betty White as Grandma Annie, who practically steals the film with her sprightly charm. It’s an irresistible, open-hearted family unit impossible for Margaret, and the audience, not to warm towards.
In the end, The Proposal is a few hours of light, unchallenging entertainment. It’s one of the less mawkish and irritating of recent romantic comedies, refusing to conclude proceedings with a simple happy ending that erases all the difficulties that preceded it. There’s hard work ahead for Margaret and Andrew but it’s potentially worth it. And if you enjoy this genre, it’s potentially worth your while checking out The Proposal.
Given the age gap between its 2 leads, Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, The Proposal understandably, and sensibly, reverses character roles. Bullock is Margaret Tate, an icy, ruthless career woman – and one of the top editors in New York City – who has for the past 3 years made life an anxious, belittling hell for her assistant, Andrew (Reynolds), who has long dreamt of a career in publishing.
When Margaret faces deportation back to Canada for breaking her visa conditions, she and Andrew enter an unconventional agreement, laced with blackmail – if he marries her to give her US citizenship, she’ll finally give him the job he’s always wanted. Of course, to make the sham marriage look credible to a highly suspicious immigration agent, Margaret and Andrew jet off to Andrew’s hometown in rural Alaska to celebrate his grandmother’s 90th birthday and announce their engagement to Andrew’s family.
Given its storyline, The Proposal could have been incredibly silly. Fortunately though, the filmmakers keep the movie just within the border of believability, with the exception of 2 ridiculous scenes involving Bullock – one a fight with an eagle over a puppy, and the other an embarrassing gangsta rap and booty-waving dance sequence. Ultimately, The Proposal feels like a toned down, less wacky cousin to What Happens in Vegas, with 2 very different characters who intensely dislike each other, but are forced to fake a relationship for their mutual benefit.
What really works in The Proposal’s favour is its performances. Of the leads, Sandra Bullock is required to play more of a caricature. She’s the emotionally aloof ball-buster feared by her staff, but her actions are hardly the stuff of The Devil Wears Prada. Bullock’s Margaret treats people with disdain and struts around stiffly but the audience is very soon aware that beneath the character’s brittle exterior lies a secret, soft core she’s been hiding for decades. Returning to the romantic comedy genre after a 4 year absence, Bullock is apparently game for anything, including an extended sequence in which in the actress is almost completely naked.
Ryan Reynolds, female fans will no doubt be pleased to know, also has several opportunities to show off his toned torso in The Proposal. However, it’s his performance as a whole that is the real surprise. With Van Wilder, Waiting, Blade III, and several other films, Reynolds has developed the screen persona of a charming slacker with a cocky attitude and very smart mouth. In The Proposal, he casts aside the wisecracks and relaxed attitude to play a distinctly normal, but nonetheless likeable guy. Reynolds’s Andrew is a hard worker who is tired of stoically enduring abuse from his boss, as well as his father, who disagrees with his literary career choice.
Backing up Reynolds and Bullock is a highly appealing supporting cast, headed by Craig T. Nelson and Mary Steenburgen, who could convincingly pass for Reynolds’s parents in real life. Then there’s Betty White as Grandma Annie, who practically steals the film with her sprightly charm. It’s an irresistible, open-hearted family unit impossible for Margaret, and the audience, not to warm towards.
In the end, The Proposal is a few hours of light, unchallenging entertainment. It’s one of the less mawkish and irritating of recent romantic comedies, refusing to conclude proceedings with a simple happy ending that erases all the difficulties that preceded it. There’s hard work ahead for Margaret and Andrew but it’s potentially worth it. And if you enjoy this genre, it’s potentially worth your while checking out The Proposal.
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