The Proposal Review

‘The Proposal’ Pitts Horribly Cliché against Solid Chemistry

-----‘The Proposal’ is the story of a snobby editor named Margaret Tate, and her assistant Andrew Paxton. Margaret Tate is from Canada. When she finds out her application for a visa has been denied and she’ll be forced out of the states and her job, she gets desperate. Enter hard working Andrew Paxton, who’s been waiting three years for a promotion to editor. Tate tells her boss that she’s engaged to Andrew, but there’s one problem. She’s a huge jerk. Andrew goes along with it for the sake of his job (and the plot), but the two will have to prove their love at the house of the un-expecting parents of Andrew’s, in Alaska. They’ll be visiting for the weekend to celebrate his Grandma’s 90th Birthday. Any chance they’ll actually fall in love…? No, that’d be cliché.

-----Ryan Reynolds is charming as always, as he continues his swim in a giant pool of charisma. He’s one of the most downright likeable guys in Hollywood today, up there with names like Hugh Jackman and Bill Hader, as guys it’s just plain difficult to dislike. He gets some laughs, though agreeably not as many as one would hope for after such a funny trailer…. Sandra Bullock plays the witch-who’s-really-just-a-person-who-needs-a-hug-on-the-inside love interest, Margaret Tate. She also gets some laughs, especially from the female demographic who absolutely roared at some of her physical humor. The makeup crew even does a pretty solid job of disguising the fact that she’s a good 12 years older than Reynolds (usually it’s the other way around, with an old actor and a young actress). Although, there is a point in the film where she shows a lot of skin, and she’s kept in shape, there’s no question there. The two have a strong chemistry and they do get some laughs, as they should, being as well-versed in the rom-com genre as they are. However, it feels like something’s missing. Perhaps the missing element is sidekick characters, comic-relief friends in the background…someone who tells them how crazy they are while this is going on, other than each other. The only other notable roles in the film come from Reynolds’ family, namely his cliché kooky Grandma, Annie. She gets some laughs from the female audience, but I wasn’t so thrilled. There’s also supposed comic relief Oscar Nunez (Oscar from TVs ‘The Office’). Many of his scenes are merely devices lighten the mood of the film, but I found that most of them either grossed me out or bored me to death.

-----For those already sold on romantic comedies, and who enjoy most of the ones they see, you should definitely see ‘The Proposal.’ It’s everybody else I’m worried about. Much like ‘Drag Me to Hell,’ ‘The Proposal’ caters so specifically to its overused formula, that steady execution can’t save it, and only diehard fans of the genre will really enjoy it. The film offers up a cliché, and very formulaic chick flick, but at least the leads work. If that sounds like enough to you, then head out to the theater by all means. The problem for me, however, is that it doesn’t excel in anything. There’s the occasional laugh, but nothing much. There’s the occasional tender moment, but nothing spectacular. And it all goes according to plan. I’m not suggesting I would have liked the film better had they hated each other throughout the film, end of story, as was the case with the dreadful film, ‘The Breakup.’ I just don’t know why everything had to be so by-the-book.

-----The reluctant romance chick flick formula goes as follows. Step one; reluctant couple is forced together by extreme and utterly unbelievable circumstances. Step two; they meet the family of one of the protagonists, and hold an awkward meet and greet with neighbors and friends. Step three; they start to get to know each other, and start to sympathize with each other. Step four; they love each other. Step five, they don’t know the other one feels the same, and split up for the other’s benefit. Step six; they realize each other’s true feelings, and come dashing together-end of story.

-----Now that you know why the film is formulaic to the point of being so mediocre it hurts, you can probably decide whether or not you want to see it. Technically, it’s also very adequate. There’s nothing too terrible, but nothing too good either. The musical score is forgettable and ultimately unnoticeable, not due to subtlety, it’s just not memorable. Seriously though, trust me; I’ve already forgotten it…maybe there wasn’t one…. Indeed, a lot about the movie is pretty bland, especially behind the camera.

-----Ultimately, I can’t find it in myself to recommend this movie. Reynolds can’t save it with his charm, and his chemistry with Bullock can’t save it either. It’s far too by-the-book to even make you worry for one second…your heart won’t even skip one beat in question of whether or not everything will work out perfectly. In fact, it becomes tiresome waiting for all of the inevitable confrontations to occur, and not even they carry the emotion of so many better films that follow the same formula. For those who love the genre, see it, it’s an adequate representation. For everyone else, the casual viewers and most of the male population, it’s just not worth your time. As is the case with many of the month’s disappointments, it’s too average and formulaic, and there are far too many superior films in the genre to constitute seeing this one. Skip ‘The Proposal,’ and watch some of the other romances out there, even if they don’t fall directly into the romantic comedy/chick flick category. As a consolation, I recommend the following: for a tale of unstoppable love, ‘Slumdog Millionaire,’ for a silly but fun chick flick, ‘Kate & Leopold,’ for the original unlikely romance, ‘It Happened One Night,’ for fairy tale romance, ‘The Princess Bride’ and ‘Ever After,’ and finally, for a film very similar in formula to ‘The Proposal,’ but also completely superior to it, the Bullock classic, ‘While You Were Sleeping.’

Official Trailer