Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds star in the new summer smash, The Proposal. It opened this weekend to huge crowds, all having to get out of the way of the armoured car backing up to the bank to deposit over 35 million dollars.
Meet Margaret (Bullock) she is a high-powered editor for a publishing company in New York City. Her personal assistant is Andrew (Reynolds.) She spends her life bossing him around and treating him like dirt and is despised by everyone in her company. She is also Canadian, and when she's faced being deported back to Canada, she devises a scheme. She wants a fictional, but legal short marriage to Andrew to stave off the deportation, and uses it as blackmail so he can keep his job.
He goes along with the scheme to save his young career. As the U.S. Immigration Department is chasing them down, they run off to Andrews family in Alaska to stage this sham. There, Margaret meets Andrews over baring, but loving family. So the question bares, will they find love, or just a business deal?
Many romantic comedies get trapped in the "bunch of gags" trap. Some funny moments but no real story. Some are so sappy, they make you want to gag. The Proposal doesn't make any of those mistakes. Instead, it relies on what all good movies do. A good story told well. The Proposal may look in previews like another ho-hum Bullock attempt a comedy, but surprise! It has a heart that beats and a soul you can peer into. It develops characters very well, and gives you a nice balance of laughs, and believability. There's no fall on the floor moments here, and no "give me a break" sap either. Just fun!
Bullock is funnier than she has been in recent years, and is still engaging and lovely. At times you may struggle with her casting as a high powered tycoon, but it's not a ship sinker either. Some of her act is the same as always, but the hilarious scene of her dirty dancing by the campfire, is almost worth the cost of a ticket. Reynolds continues to be one of Hollywood's newest and fastest rising stars. Make no mistake. He is selling the tickets here. And he's also pretty darn funny as the beaten down for the moment, Andrew.
The Proposal doesn't make every good decision. There are a few moments you can see were designed for laughs that get none. And there's a bit a cheese here and there, but it's all forgivable. Toss in a real nice supporting cast of Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, and Betty White, and The Proposal is off and running. Plus, there's a new line coined at the end that is certain to be a wedding line used for the next 5 years or so.
The Proposal. Very, very good. Very, very fun.
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