Written by: Peter Chiarelli
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Malin Åkerman, Craig T. Nelson, Mary Steenburgen
Rating: [3/5]
Bosses in busy industries tend to be demanding of their underlings, even crossing the line when it does not allow their subordinates to attain proper work-life balance. We’ve seen various stories dedicate themselves completely to exploring this but for as demanding as other bosses can be, what gets asked of the assistant in The Proposal might just take the cake in crossing the line.
Working as an assistant at a publishing house with the hope of becoming an author in the future, Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) deals with the highly demanding Margaret (Sandra Bullock). While a successful editor-in-chief, Margaret’s a Canadian Citizen who has her work renewal declined leaving her at risk for deportation. Desperate for a solution, she coerces Andrew to marry her so she can get a green card for the sake of his career.
Setting up this context within a romantic comedy sure softens the blow in imagining how this would play out in a real circumstance. Having one’s boss make you marry them so they avoid deportation certainly sits atop one of the worst abuses of power one could have over a subordinate, and probably serves as quite the first. Under a different light and perhaps swapped gender dynamics, this could easily flip over into a horror film premise. However, we get to watch this duo try to figure this situation out, which certainty comes with several bumps in the road.
First they need to actually stomach the idea of viewing each other as a married couple, but the real strain appears in having to convince a U.S. immigration agent of the validity of this relationship. A task that will take some doing no doubt, but seeing as we find ourselves in a romantic comedy here, we pretty much know how this will all play out. They will need to put on a convincing performance for this to all work out and this happens not only with the immigration officer, but also Andrew’s family as they go to celebrate his grandmother’s birthday.
As we reach this small town in Alaska, we see the tropes plenty of films display in showing the beauty of quaint small towns and how the warmth of it can melt the heart of an ice queen like Margaret. Everyone has a smile on their face and holds plenty of care for the other members of the community, which many feel does not happen in the big city where Margaret has cut her teeth. It serves as a source of conflict as Andrew considers leaving behind the big city life he sought to become a successful writer. This certainly causes issues as well for the main plot for Margaret, as it ever increases the likelihood Andrew will renege on their deal.
Much of the comedy on display in this feature occurs from the enemies-to-lovers forced engagement of these two where they need to pretend to be this happy couple when they can barely stand each other. This hatred then morphs into genuine feelings as the more they get to know each other the more they realize they have in common. The most iconic scene where they literally run into each other while naked shows this displaying what makes this winning couple worth one checking out even if the rest of the plot does not necessarily provide anything worth writing home about.
This central couple gets a wonderful duo of actors to portray them with Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. While Reynolds does his typical shtick, Bullock carries the majority of this film with all of the charm one could want. She displays here what makes her a movie star in the way she can balance the humor of this role in addition to the romance and drama Margaret’s situation creates. While the other supporting characters contributed in their own way, this movie completely belonged to Bullock.
Certainly a film that will entertain and provide us with a winning couple, The Proposal takes a strange set-up for a romantic comedy and makes something that does everything it needs to do. It does not necessarily overly impress but puts together a respectable plot, some fun characters to follow, and something everyone can gather, watch, and enjoy.
Films with Josh 