The Proposal - DVD Review

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual content, nudity and language.
Runtime: 107 mins.
Director: Anne Fletcher
Writer: Pete Chiarelli
Cast: Sandra Bullock; Ryan Reynolds; Mary Steenburgen
Tagline: Here comes the bribe...
Genre: Comedy | Romance
Memorable Quote: "We are uh... getting married"
Release Date: June 19, 2009
DVD Release Date: October 13, 2009.
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Sandra Bullock is vying for a huge comeback. She faded out during the Miss Congeniality years and never fully recovered the hearts and minds she had once so perfectly captured when she first hit cinematic gold in While You Were Sleeping as everyone's next favorite romantic comedy actress (Meg Ryan has that award). Her gamble for star-power recovery is with this little gem of a romantic comedy, but even more importantly, her acting comeback rests with her comedic timing between herself and Ryan Reynolds, the hilarious muscle-strapped star of Van Wilder and Just Friends, who in my opinion - should be a bigger star in his own right. Anne Fletcher's The Proposal uses the chemistry of these two stars and is awarded with some hilarious scenes and situations that, ultimately, add up to make this film work.

Reynolds plays Andrew Paxton, a career-minded young professional trying to impress his cold-hearted boss he is her assistant, or as she likes to put it, her secretary so that he can land the position of editor at the publishing firm they work at. Bullock is Margaret Tate, the cold-hearted boss, who springs on a supposed engagement and forces Reynolds to marry her once she finds out that she is going to be deported she's Canadian - and will lose everything career-wise if she can't fix her Visa situation. Paxton is Tate's fix to her problem and Paxton uses Tate's situation to secure his own ambitions. It is a mutual agreement with a lot of bitterness stemming from Paxton once they travel to Alaska (his hometown) in an effort to prove to the Immigration officer (who, rightly so, has his doubts about the legitimacy of their engagement) that they are legit.

Reynolds and Bullock share the screen and revel in their chemistry together; it never feels forced or prodded just natural and at ease. It is the situations they find themselves in that make this vehicle launch and their talents are revealed in more than a couple of moments of witty banter seen in the trailer. Reynolds sarcasm is noted (Congratulations, I'm officially 100 years old) as his patience with his bosses' reaction to being in the outdoors and, ultimately, everything that makes him who he is. And, Bullock, trades barbs as good as she gets but it is her reaction to everything that makes even the most overused and bizarre - of story plot devices seem funnier.

As with any romantic comedy it is the supporting cast that aids in the appeal of the story and Betty White, as Grandma Annie, and Oscar Nunez, as Ramone who seems to do everything in Paxton's hometown including male dancer, definitely cash in on their performances for laughs. Even serious man Denis O'Hare, as Mr. Gibertson - the immigration officer Paxton and Tate are conning joins in on the fun as his performance of a confident and coolly collected agent of law becomes quite hysterical given the situation he finds himself in toward the end of the film.

While this won't win any awards for being the best romantic comedy ever made, the situation feels wholly fresh and the performances of the two leads are definitely not to be missed. Their chemistry together is reminiscent of the old school days of Hollywood - think Grant and Russell in the screwball comedy His Girl Friday and you'll be close to imagining how their scenes play out. Ultimately, The Proposal is a fun romantic comedy for a hot summer day; if just to see how close two people who absolutely hate each other become once their guard is down and their closest comforts stripped to their barest bone.

Component Grades
Movie		DVD


DVD Experience

DVD Details:

Screen Formats: 2.35:1

Subtitles: French, Spanish

Language and Sound: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC

Other Features: Color; interactive menus; scene access; making-of featurette; "Lose Myself" music video by Ms. Lauryn Hill; original short "The ChubbChubbs Save Xmas".