Review: The Proposal

The Proposal

OPENING: 06/19/2009

STUDIO: Touchstone

ACCOMPLICES:
Trailer,

The Charge
Here comes the bribe…

Opening Statement
“Honey, if you hold on to my ass one more time, I’ll cut your balls off in your sleep!”

Facts Of The Case
Bitchy N.Y. book editor Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock, Miss Congeniality) is thoroughly disliked by all the cubicle workers under her. Her young assistant Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds, Definitely, Maybe) has put up with her witch-like attitude for nearly three years and is getting sick of it. And their bitter working relationship is about to be put through a most unlikely challenge.

Tate is Canadian, and is notified by her superior that she’s now in danger of deportation. As luck would have it, Andrew interrupts the meeting and she gets an idea. Announcing her “engagement” to Andrew seems to be a way out of her predicament…that is, until she must meet Andrew’s family in Alaska for an eventful weekend. Andrew is going along with Margaret’s scheme simply because he’s promised a promotion, but the plan goes awry when they begin to fall for each other.

The Evidence
Sandra Bullock must be pleased with The Proposal. This is the first time in years in which she’s had a #1 hit at the box office. Even with the impending Transformers sequel crushing it, she should be satisfied that her box office clout hasn’t waned. And why should it? The actress who made a name for herself with ‘90s hits Speed and While Were You Sleeping still has plenty of easy-going charm and grace to coast on. Plus, now in her in-40s, she remains a knockout, as evident in a scene from The Proposal were she’s required to be nude for a good 15 minutes. Unlike her Transformers competition Megan Fox, Bullock has the looks and experience to carry her own movie.

Yet, as hard as Bullock tries, she can’t seem to raise The Proposal above sheer slightness. Virtually everything from set-up to conclusion in first-timer Pete Chiarelli’s script is contrived and recycled. Two charismatic stars at the helm certainly compensate for the lack of originality. And their efforts are valiant without a doubt. Thankfully, director Anne Fletcher (27 Dresses) works well with her menagerie of a cast, and takes advantage of the many New England locations (with a lovely Massachusetts substituting for Alaska). With Fletcher’s assistance, Bullock & Reynolds generate an infectious chemistry which is sorely needed. My major problem with the film is how it wants us to believe these two will fall head over heels in love over the course of 48 hours when they’ve hated each other for years.

Perhaps the problem was the jarring shift in location. The opening scenes in New York establish the characters and their needs well. Andrew is earnest and loyal even in the face of borderline harassment. Like most up-and-coming assistants, he kisses as much ass as he can, even if the ass belongs to a female tyrant hell-bent on militarily maintaining her staff. There’s a reason for Margaret’s icy nature, and naturally it’s revealed later at a pivotal point in the plot. After the narrative hook snags predictably, there is the suggestion of a Shakespearean role reversal which is initially interesting. But Chiarelli throws all that out the window when Andrew’s Alaskan family take over the proceedings. Any romcom devotee will see Margaret’s difficulty in adjusting to the culture shift. Once you include Andrew’s sarcasm, the family’s eccentricities, the numerous silly shenanigans (a general store owner doubles as a male stripper), et al, and you have another rehash begging for more sting.

To be fair, some of the scenes deliver. For instance, Margaret’s and Andrew’s nude meeting is cutely executed. A hair-raising moment involving a hawk and the family’s pet dog is offbeat and clever. And any scene with the legendary Betty White produces laughs no matter how ridiculous the dialogue. All of these sprinkles soon evaporate, however, once The Proposal surrenders itself for the obvious in the third act.

What rescues the film from total banality is the devoted cast. Bullock’s star power is, as usual, electric. She confidently grabs Margaret’s red pitchfork and successfully draws us in with her thousand-watt appeal. As for Reynolds, he also scores highly as Bullock’s disgruntled assistant, even if his actions are questionable throughout. Oscar Nunez is having a blast as the jolly stripper. Unfortunately, veterans Steenburgen and Nelson are given the short end of the development stick as Reynolds’s parents. No matter, as the 87-year-old White is given plenty of scenes to steal due to her relentless good nature and cheery disposition. Some may be tempted to brush off White as simply using her Rose Nyland shtick, but she’s so delightful it’s hard to complain.

The Closing Statement
The cast is engaging enough to make this film worth a rental five months down the road. Just don’t expect some delicious juice not from concentrate, that’s all. The Proposal is standard and uninspired, but not without its revelry. Bullock and Co. are free to go, but the film is found guilty.

The Verdict
6/10

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