The Proposal

THE PROPOSAL (2009) - June 15, 2009
An overlong, silly romantic comedy about a woman who blackmails her assistant into marrying her after she finds out that she's about to get deported. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds have definite chemistry and are both quite good in their roles (Bullock in particular is an old pro in the romcom genre) -- I just wish that they were in a better movie. The same can be said for the supporting cast, including people like Mary Steenburgen and Craig T. Nelson, who deserve so much better than this. The main problem with this film is the overabundance of silly, superfluous moments (ie. Bullock and her relatives-to-be visiting an egregiously wacky stripper, Betty White and Bullock doing a bizarre raindance of some sort, etc.). There is a genuinely entertaining romcom buried in here somewhere; this film should have been about 80 minutes instead of 107. It works best when it's being essentially low-key -- every time the film goes for over-the-top laughs, it absolutely falls flat. **