SYNOPSIS:
Sandra Bullock is at her funniest in the fresh, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy THE PROPOSAL. On the verge of being deported and losing the high-powered job she lives for, the controlling Margaret announces she's engaged to her unsuspecting, put-upon assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds). After proposing a few demands of his own, the mismatched couple heads to Alaska where they have four short days to convince his quirky family and a very skeptical immigration agent that their charade is real. Featuring a star-studded supporting cast, including Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson and the delightfully inappropriate Betty White, this madcap comedy will have you saying "yes" to The Proposal again and again.
MOVIE REVIEW:
The chemistry between the pair of actors playing the lovebirds in a romantic comedy can either make or break the movie. Take Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds for instance- Bullock plays the stereotypical Hollywood high-powered female executive and Reynolds her long-suffering assistant who helps out his colleagues in his office by sending IMs to everyone when she is on the march. You know even before watching the movie that the two will not get along at first, and then get together.
Does that spoil the fun of watching Bullock and Reynolds on screen? Certainly not- for there is something positively sizzling whenever the two appear onscreen together, trading barbs and asides at each other as they go through the requisite bickering before the inevitable happy ending. Just take the following forwards and backwards when Reynolds’ Andrew Paxton tries to get Bullock’s Margaret Tate to get onto the boat to Paxton’s family house in Alaska.
Margaret: I am not getting in that boat.
Andrew: Fine, see you in three days.
Margaret: You know I can’t swim!
Andrew: Hence…the boat.
Indeed, to watch Bullock and Reynolds delivering those lines is even funnier. Bullock is a gifted comedian who has honed her timing through movies such as “Miss Congeniality”, “Two Weeks Notice” and even last year’s dud “All About Steve”. There is something genuinely likeable about Bullock, even though she plays the irascible character here. You can say the same about Reynolds, whose panache for slapstick comedy (“Van Wilder”) gets a surprisingly dry and witty edge in this movie.
Credit must go to writer Pete Chiarelli for not only coming up with the amusing high-concept but also the hilarious setups that give Bullock and Reynolds ample space to flaunt their comedic muscle. That includes a very-funny awkward moment when Bullock, fresh out of the shower naked, runs into Reynolds post-workout and stripped down ready for the shower. Of course, it takes brave actors like Bullock and Reynolds to give the scene that extra ‘bang’ and trust me that they do.
If Anne Fletcher’s direction is somewhat unremarkable, that’s perhaps because she too knows better than to distract from her movie’s best assets- Bullock and Reynolds. Instead, she lets the two actors do their thing, fully aware that they are more than capable to draw the guffaws from the audience.
So yes, “The Proposal” is formulaic and predictable- but what it does is take formula and inject a clever twist to great amusing effect. It also knows that a classic rom-com depends on the appeal of its two lead stars- and boy are Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds appealing in this one. Together, the two gifted comedians make a proposal you can’t refuse.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
Feature Commentary with director Anne Fletcher and writer Pete Chiarelli: Fletcher and Chiarelli sound genuinely interested and enthusiastic about the film and it shows amply in this lively commentary. Besides talking about how the considerations behind each individual scene, the two also share some funny gossips about the actual shoot.
Deleted Scenes: There are three deleted scenes with optional commentary by Fletcher and Chiarelli that once again emphasize how the stars Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds are the lynchpins of this movie.
Alternate Ending: This 6-min long alternate ending was thankfully not included in the final cut. Rightly, Fletcher and Chiarelli point out in the audio commentary that it is too long and that all audiences want at that point is to see Bullock and Reynolds get together already.
Set Antics: Outtakes and other Absurdities from The Proposal: A de rigueur addition nowadays into any comedy, this contains a series of bloopers from the shooting process as well as a little more of Aasif Mandvi (who plays fellow book editor whom Bullock’s character fires in the first ten minutes of the film).
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio provides clear dialogue and good surround sound especially during the outdoor scenes. Visual transfer is excellent and the picture looks bright and sharp throughout.
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Review
by Gabriel Chong
Posted on 28 December 2009 |
