A Pleasant Surprise

The Proposal (2009)
Directed by Anne Fletcher

Oh look, another romantic comedy. Good looking girl falls in love with (very) good looking guy, a few hiccups on the way but all's well that ends well and you get your happily ever after - just about. I'm not denying that The Proposal brings nothing new to this genre, but this one actually lives up to it. It's romantic, it's comical, and it's just downright entertaining.

When vile boss Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) discovers she is being deported thanks to an expired work visa, she forces her assistant, the lovable, Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds) to marry her. A family engagement of Andrew's takes them both on a weekend of fun and games in Alaska, where the two are forced to spend time together and get to know each other a bit better.

Obviously, there are a few cringeworthy and slightly unbelievable elements to this film - the wedding is brought forward to the current weekend, Margaret's parents are both conveniently dead, so there's no objections there, and once again in American comedy, the two both work in a high-flying New York publishing house. Why is that always the case? Nevertheless, this comes with the territory and when you buy a ticket to see a romantic-comedy, you've got to expect it.

The delight of this film lies in the actual comedy. I went in a skeptic. Having seen the trailer, I thought I'd pretty much seen all the jokes and I was pretty certain on the outcome of the film so I didn't have high expectations as a whole. Perhaps this worked in its favour. Either way, this movie is full of great, slapstick humour, classic one liners and two lead actors that never fail to amuse.

Sandra Bullock is on form as super-bitch, Margaret, as the Alaskan countryside, and the imperative to be nice play against her. Ryan Reynolds is equally funny as he milks the opportunity to get even with the woman who has made his life hell.

Ok, so there is nothing dramatically different about this rom-com, no cinematic genius or twist in the storyline. However, this movie does what it says on the tin just perfectly. I was laughing for so much of the way through - genuine laughter too - and the whole thing is just enjoyable to watch. Finally, The Proposal has brought the feel-good factor back into this genre, where so many of its recent predecessors have failed.

Please comment if you have anything to add to the review of 'The Proposal'.