Review: The Proposal (2009)

It's hard to critically review a film I have not only watched multiple times, but also highly enjoy.

I love The Proposal. In fact, I used to really love it. Years ago, it was my favourite film, and my younger self once watched this film every day for one whole week. On one of those days, I think I watched it two or three times. So, what was it about The Proposal (directed by Anne Fletcher) that appealed to me so much back then? Let's take a look.

The Proposal tells the story of Margaret, an uptight and unpleasant yet highly capable boss at a top New York book publishing company. One day, Margaret is told by her employers that she is going to be deported back to Canada, and fired from her job as a consequence. Margaret, (played by Sandra Bullock) finds her solution in Andrew (played by Ryan Reynolds), her assistant. She blackmails him into marrying her so that she can become an American citizen and keep her job, in exchange for helping Andrew achieve his dream of being an editor, with his debut novel being published at the publishing house Margaret runs. Once the pair settle their arrangement, Margaret flies with Andrew to where he grew up in Alaska to meet his family and friends, and possibly build some of her own connections on the way.

Bullock and Reynolds have excellent chemistry together throughout, which helps show the development of their character's relationship as the film progresses. We see the pair go from boss and assistant, to two people blackmailing each other, two people disliking each other, two people learning that they respect each other, then liking each other and eventually realising that they are in love with one another. Yes, we may have seen this sort of relationship development in more than just one other film, but these two actors sell each part of their characters journey so well. Even when we're supposed to dislike one of them, (notably Bullock, never Reynolds) they are still enjoyable to watch together, which is a relief when their relationship progresses into romance. If you don't like a character in a film, how would you find satisfaction in them ending up happily with a character you actually do like, after all? A lot of chick flicks I've watched seem to miss this point, and I've felt like one person in a film couple could have done so much better than the person they're with more times than I'd care to mention. Very happily, this is not the case here, and the romance, as it blooms, is a sweet one.

The side characters are well-played too, notably Betty White as Andrew's grandmother and Oscar Nunez as Ramone, the quirky waiter/stripper/shop assistant/ordained minster, are the best for laughs. The only actor I had an issue with was Aasif Mandivi as Bob. He was a bit over the top and didn't seem to carry that particular character very well, but fortunately he is only in the first couple of minutes in the film, and he isn't so poor that he'd burden the rest of the film with his performance.

The film has some laughs that could be weak and are lazily written (no, I do not believe that uptight, workaholic, Margaret would really start rapping about "sweat dripping down [her] balls" while shaking her bum at an old woman in the woods), but again, thanks to these two leading actors, the film gets away with it. It helps that there are some genuinely funny moments too. The scene where Andrew and Margaret tell the story of how Andrew proposed (which they have to make up on the spot) is a highlight for me.

This was the first film I ever saw with Ryan Reynolds, and it's a good one to showcase not just his acting skills, but also just how likeable he is. Do I personally find him attractive, a male lead I would swoon over? No, but I think my life would be a little happier if a had a guy like him in it. He's charismatic, funny and manages to feel like a sincerely kind person towards the people he cares about. Sandra Bullock is good as Margaret, and the twelve year age gap between her and Reynolds never crosses my mind throughout viewing because they look equal to each other, as well as their excellent display of chemistry together. I really like these two actors together, and hope that they are able to collaborate on screen again together one day.

It was also nice to see a film where the male and female leads share the exact same amount of nudity on camera. Hoorah for the gender equality.

The cinematography of this film is pleasant, and considering how none of it was shot on location in Alaska, also very impressive (though this admitted comes from a British girl who has never been anywhere in America). I remember being surprised when I watched a behind the scenes video and seeing green screen outside the set windows: it made me really look out for the post-editing work done there. The only time I really noticed any green screen was during the boat scene with Margaret and Andrew, but the pair are putting so much energy and passion into Margaret's new panic about their plan, you really only focus on that instead.

If I had anything critical to say about this film, is that it falls under a few tropes within the genre that keeps it from feeling like a truly original story. Those tropes include the tired liar-revealed plot and the story of two people who don't like each other pretending to be in love to achieve something, only to actually fall in love. We even already have a romantic film about two people who loathe each other getting together for the sake of a green card. That film is called Green Card, and it was nominated for a Best Original Screenplay Academy Award. It stars Andie MacDowell and Gérard Depardieu. I'll get to it one day.

Overall, The Proposal is a funny, warm-hearted romantic comedy, and its greatest strength is its two charismatic leads. I recommend it.

THE SCOREBOARD

Chick Flick Check List Elements: 1, 4, 7, 8, 10, 19, 22, 23, 25, 26, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 51, 52, 58 (with bonus point: Margaret is an orphan), 64.

Total: 21

Is this really a chick flick or will men like it too? This feels more like a romantic comedy than a chick flick, but ultimately Margaret is our main character, and she is the one who goes through the most character development for the sake of romance. This makes it a bit more a chick flick than it may initially be credited for. However, men and other viewers who aren't conventional fans of romantic fans will enjoy Reynolds here, as well as some of the films comedic moments.

Would I recommend this film? Yes.

Quote of the film: "Margaret, marry me, because I'd like to date you." - Andrew

Film rating: 8/10