The Proposal is a movie that really shouldn’t work. It’s astonishingly contrived and silly, going to extreme lengths to create a situation that’s not even remotely plausible. However, thanks to some great chemistry between Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, and a script that’s sweet, witty and charming (if rather ridiculous), it’s far more entertaining and funny than it perhaps ought to be.
Bullock plays Margaret, a career woman who’s used to getting what she wants and treating the people under her like dirt. When she discovers she hasn’t renewed her US work visa and is about to lose her job and be deported back to her home nation of Canada, she tells her bosses that it’s okay because she’s going to marry her assistant, Andrew (Reynolds), and get her green card that way. Andrew reluctantly agrees to go along with this fake-marriage ruse on the promise he’ll get the promotion he wants, but as the immigration services don’t believe their relationship is real, Andrew and Margaret must head off to his family in Alaska and convince everyone they’re really in love (I told you it got rather contrived).
You won’t be shocked to hear that even though the boss and assistant initially don’t like each other much, as they spend time together they both begin to soften towards one another.
Some sequences are almost jaw-dropping in terms of how they seem to have been written backwards. For example, there’s the much talked about nude scene (where you get to see nothing even vaguely titillating), where Andrew and Margaret accidentally run into each other in the buff. The makers obvious wanted the skin-to-skin payoff, so in order to get to that point they have to invent an utterly ridiculous series of events to get to it, but thanks to the fact the film’s all so jovial, it doesn’t really matter. The Proposal may be stupid but its sweet and a genuinely fun rom-com.
And quite frankly, anything starring Betty White, who’s now 87 and still as bright and funny as ever, gets the thumbs up from me. She’s simply wonderful as Andrew’s grandmother.
The Blu-ray edition comes in a combi-pack that also includes the film on DVD, if you want it. The special features are relatively light, but what’s included is all fairly entertaining. There are some okay deleted scenes and an alternate ending. It’s the sort of conclusion where you can see why they changed it, because it’s kind of clunky and takes too long to get to the point, but it’s interesting to see what they were originally planning, with Sandra Bullock getting all flustered on board an airplane. These features also come with an audio commentary from director Anne Fletcher and writer Peter Chiarelli, as does the film itself. They’re fairly pleasant company and certainly seem to have a passion for the film, as well as giving some fun behind-the-scenes info on the film. Finally there are some outtakes, interspersed with the cast having a bit of fun on camera. It makes for a small but entertaining selection of features.
Picture-wise there’s little to complain about. While you sometimes get the feeling the studios don’t really care about the HD transfer of rom-coms, this one is crisp and clear, with bright colours and good details. It makes the snowy Alaskan landscapes look gorgeous, and it’s certainly a lot better looking than most Blu-rays of romantic comedies.
Likewise the audio is also very good. It may not be the sort of soundtrack that would ever be in danger of setting your speakers on fire, but it’s very detailed and clear, with some nice, subtle use of the surround elements.
The Proposal may not be a masterpiece and it’s certainly very contrived, but it’s entertaining, charming and Bullocks and Reynolds have wonderful on-screen chemistry.
Overall Verdict: With a good HD transfer and a small but decent selection of extras, it’s a decent Blu-ray for a silly but charming film.
Special Features:
Audio Commentary With Director Anne Fletcher and Writer Peter Chiarelli
Outtakes (with optional commentary)
Deleted Scenes (with optional commentary)
Alternate Ending (with optional commentary)
Reviewer: Tim Isaac
