Friday
19Jun2009
Movie Review - 'The Proposal'
Friday, June 19, 2009 at 12:32AM | The Proposal
Starring Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Craig T. Nelson, and Betty White  |
The Proposal is something of a unique crossroads for its stars. For Sandra Bullock, it is her umpteenth romantic comedy, and contrary to the perception, most of them haven’t done very well. Still, she remains an A-lister. For Ryan Reynolds, the film is another attempt at mainstream stardom, which is hard to figure given his leading man good looks and remarkable comedic timing.
So it stands to reason that if The Proposal is a failure, both Reynolds and Bullock might feel the sting of another movie that comes up short. Fortunately for them, this is the best of Hollywood’s unoriginal, disposable romantic comedies this year, one that plays to both actors’ strengths and invests a little bit in its characters. That is, until the formula calls for a predictably dreadful conclusion.
Bullock is a workplace tyrant, a book editor whose presence in the building prompts intra-office instant messages warning, “It’s here.” Reynolds is her assistant, dutiful, overqualified, and obviously masochistic. When the book editor learns she is about to be deported, she desperately grabs the floating branch in the current and reveals that she and her assistant are about to be married.
The sham engagement is announced to Reynolds’ family during a trip home to Alaska. Now the act will really be put to the test: How will they behave in close quarters under the watchful eyes of his family?
The premise is hardly anything to get excited about, but director Anne Fletcher puts a lot of trust in Reynolds and he delivers. We buy what he’s selling. Bullock is a good enough comedienne, but is rarely better than the material. However, when Reynolds turns the screws on his boss – who needs this marriage more than he does – he’s at the top of his game.
Now if only people will see him perform at that level.
Colin Boyd | Permalink | in Reviews, RomCom, Ryan Reynolds, Sandra Bullock | Print Article | Email Article | 3 Comments | Share Article
Reader Comments (3)
i enjoyed this. granted, some of it was due to betty white (87?? i'm stunned)--even though she does deliver a huge gaff line with the announcing of dates, showing her character would have been 10 when she married as a pregnant bride--still, it was good light fun, and that is what we want in summer films at times, right?
i'm thankful sandra is sticking to these roles, and not doing another 'lake house'
I have seen some trailers and i found it very funny. Full on comedy. Sandra's performance is amazing. Nice story. For more wallpapers, trailers refer http://www.entertainmenttrend.com/the-proposal-movie-reviews-trailers/
i feel they should make a sequel to this movie. I enjoyed the plot and i felt sandra had ryan had great cemestry. 'the proposal' was a over all enjoyable movie!