The Proposal

So the movie watching this summer hasn’t been going to well.  I’ve been busy, and have thus missed some movies.  My desire to make up for lost time is diminished from some pretty lousy reviews for the likes of Terminator: Salvation and Land of the Lost.

But this weekend I took the opportunity to watch a week-early sneak peak of The Proposal starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds.

Wait.  Who’s Sandra Bullock?  Oh right — she’s that chick from Speed.  It’s been a while since we’ve seen Bullock in a movie that anyone has watched, but she’s back to her roots for this film.

I’m not usually shy about admitting my man crushes, so I won’t pull punches here.  I wanted to watch The Proposal primarily because Ryan Reynolds is one of the more charismatic actors to come around in some time.  He’s remarkably adept at being both comedic and serious at the same time.

The movie also has a great supporting cast in the likes of Coach Craig T. Nelson, Betty White, and Mary Steenburgen.  Oh yah, and that chick from Watchmen; not nearly as sexy here in normal clothing.

The Proposal is a romantic comedy.  There aren’t any explosions, none of the characters wear spandex, and the plot is about as predictable as 90-degree weather in Texas.  There’s nothing new in this movie, but there is something old.  And that is perhaps it’s greatest charm.

And by old I am not making a crack about Sandra Bullock’s age (though she is 12 years Reynolds’ senior).  Instead, I’m referring to the vibe of the film.  Hollywood has forgotten how to make simple films in the last few years, and it’s good to see one crop up that has that old-school romantic comedy vibe.

It has been said that there are a discrete set of stories in the world, and thus Hollywood will always struggle to be original.  But The Proposal proves that you don’t have to be original — you just have to be likable, witty, and full of charismatic characters.

Ryan Reynolds does an amazing job offering support to the other actors on screen.  Though he is by all rights as big of a draw to the movie as Sandra Bullock, he understands his role and provides support on screen rather than stealing screen time.

I was a bit wary about the age difference between the leads being unbelievable, but it doesn’t affect the film at all and one would be hard pressed to detect the difference.  Bullock looks possibly better than ever at 45, as she proudly shows in some not-quite-nude scenes (it is PG-13 afterall).

There’s a convoluted plot in there somehow about how Bullock is the demon boss from hell, and Ryan Reynolds is her lowly assistant.  There’s some family strife for Reynolds whose father would prefer him to take over the family business.  There’s some psychological scarring for Bullock’s character to overcome.

But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter.  What matters is that they fall in love and live happily ever after as any couple should.  There’s never really any suspense about that, but the journey is the prize.

The one area of suspense comes from the Immigration officer intent on proving that Reynolds’ and Bullock’s engagement is a sham.  Even by the end of the film, it’s not entirely clear whether Bullock is going to get deported or not.  The question is really whether she gets deported before true feelings can be revealed.

A special mention should go to Oscar Nuñez, who plays the local everyman for Reynolds’ hometown.  Although his role was light and unimportant, he gathered more laughs than he probably should have.

In fact, laughs were plentiful.  I don’t think I heard most of poor Mary Steenburgen’s lines because she always seemed to be the straight man to someone else’s jokes, though she does as well of a job as she ever has playing basically the same character she always does.

If you can take a break from explosions and Ferrell-style humor, The Proposal may be right up your alley.  It’s simple and low-budget compared to the costumed-vigilante set, but it’s fun and entertaining.  And isn’t that what movies are supposed to be about?

Verdict: B+ Tilt: A-