Movie Review - The Proposal

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As film premises go, a sham-marriage designed to prevent deportation is the romantic comedy equivalent of a cop nearing retirement getting a new partner that doesn’t play by the book.  So a film like The Proposal doesn’t engender much confidence.  Sandra Bullock plays Margaret Tate, a book editor of Devil Wears Prada-esque proportions.  Ryan Reynolds plays her assistant/whipping-boy Andrew Paxton.  Paxton dreams of being an editor; a dream that Tate exploits in much the same way a fraternity member exploits a pledge.  As the film opens, Tate (a Canadian) discovers that her visa is about to expire.  Miffed at learning that she can’t manipulate the INS as easily as she does everyone else, she bribes/blackmails Paxton into marrying her.  INS agent Mr. Gilbertson (Denis O'Hare) isn’t falling for their ruse and informs them that he’ll be quizzing them separately in order to determine if they’re a real couple. 

The Proposal is everything you think it is.  One day technology will advance to that point that we’ll have romantic comedy generating software.  And the most rudimentary of such software would produce a more creative storyline than first-time screenwriter Pete Chiarelli has.  However, like jazz, sometimes it’s not about the song, it’s about the singer.  The first forty-five minutes of the film are surprisingly good.  Reynolds and Bullock have good chemistry.  Their mutual contempt for each other is palpable and generates some truly funny moments. 

The film’s best moments are watching Paxton at Tate’s beck-and-call and the subsequent reversal of fortune when he is no longer her subordinate.  Bullock, as always, is adorable (even when she’s not supposed to be).  And Reynolds, well…ok, I’m just gonna say it.  The guy is charming.  He has a great delivery and, quite frankly, he’s way too likeable for someone that looks like he’s stepped out of an Abercrombie & Fitch catalog. 

However, once the two agree to a loveless marriage (or, as most people call it, a “marriage”) the movie loses much of its energy.  The pair flies to visit Paxton’s family in Alaska for the weekend.  The trip serves a dual purpose.  Paxton’s grandmother is celebrating her 90^th birthday and it will allow Tate an opportunity to learn more about her “in-laws” in order to fool INS.  It’s here that the film starts to go off the rails by becoming a “fish-out-of-water” comedy.  The focus shifts from chemistry and witty dialogue to scene after scene of Tate flailing about in contrived and embarrassing (for both the character and the actress) situations.  It also features a scene involving a small dog being snatched by an eagle that has some of the worst green-screen work I’ve ever seen in a major motion picture. 

The Proposal starts strong but can’t maintain its early quality.  As the story moves forward, the film collapses under the weight of its own formula.  The strength of the first half only serves to highlight the weaknesses of the second half.  Bullock and Reynolds work diligently to rescue the film.  And they deserve credit for almost everything there is to like in the film.

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being It Happened One Night and 1 being I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry, The Proposal gets a 6.

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