The Proposal

Rating: 4/5

In a romantic comedy full of charm, The Proposal is a movie that boasts a great cast and is incredibly easy to enjoy.

Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) is a fierce and feared editor for a publishing company in New York City. Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds) spends every waking moment as Margaret's assistant. He despises her, but knows that if wants to become a book editor, he needs to meet her every demand.

When Margaret learns that she has violated the terms of her immigration, she is told she must go back to Canada unless she has proof that she shouldn't be deported. Panicked and desperate for a solution to keep her in the states, Margaret lies and says she and Andrew are going to be married. In order to sell their scheme to the immigration officer, Andrew and Margaret must prove their "relationship", and to do so, they must go to visit Andrew's family for his grandmother's 90th birthday in Sitka, Alaska.

One of the issues with looking at reviews for any rom-com, is that they are almost guaranteed to be negative. The critics always gripe about the lack of originality in the plot or that it follows a pattern. Well, here's my thoughts on that. Romantic comedies aren't supposed to be groundbreaking works of cinema. There should be a sense of comfort and ease while watching a film from this genre. You know there will be a moment where the water gets choppy for the couple around the second act of the film, yet you know it will all work itself out in the end. Not earth-shattering by any means, but enjoyable nonetheless. The Proposal is a great example of this concept. Yes, it does follow your typical rom-com formula, but it does so with excellent performances, and comedy that isn't too silly or over the top.

The Proposal is without a doubt one of my favorite romantic-comedies, and it easily in part to its' excellent casting, and that isn't just for the two leads. Every member of Andrew's family is made up actors and actresses who almost always make a film better, even the most mundane or ordinary ones. I for one feel that Mary Steenburgen, who plays Andrew's mom, is an actress who adds instant warmth and heart to a film, and she is without a doubt one of the best additions to the movie. Andrew's grandmother, played by Betty White, is quirky and a little crazy, but lovable all the same, and no one could do this as well as the incomparable Betty White.

As far as its' two leads go, I had already been a Sandra Bullock fan before this film, so I knew that I would like the female lead, but I wasn't completely sold on Ryan Reynolds yet; the Proposal changed all that. I actually found myself laughing more at the lines delivered by Reynolds than anyone else in the movie. He delivers his comedy with subtlety and effortless wit, and is just another example how great the casting for this film is. Though their is a noticeable age difference between the two, Reynolds' and Bullock's chemistry throughout the Proposal is both humorous and adorable.

The Proposal is a romantic-comedy that may have one of the biggest critic to audience review discrepancies I've seen. For audiences who enjoy rom-coms, they love it, but for critics who don't, they aren't very kind to it. This movie definitely has its' moments where the comedy might be overly goofy or strained, but for the most part, it is fun, delightful, and an all around good time.