The Proposal

Rating: * * *

Verdict

:

Nice to see Bullock back doing what she does best.

The Proposal

doesn't offer anything new or different from the host of other formulaic and predictable comedies, except for the two leads actually having some chemistry, which these days is enough of a point of difference.

Its story goes simply, as you'd expect, with Bullock playing Margaret, a hard-nosed bitch book editor-in-chief in New York who is about to be deported back to Canada. On the spur of the moment, she tells her boss she's engaged to her long-suffering assistant Andrew (Reynolds), and that the marriage will enable her to stay. Andrew, who despises his boss, agrees to this deception on the condition he gets a promotion.

No signs of romance just yet, but Bullock and Reynolds show promising signs of chemistry and comedic timing, in particular when he demands she gets on her knees (in a pencil skirt and Christian Louboutin 10cm heels) on the sidewalk to propose.

Of course this deal has to get the wobbles at some point, when to convince the authorities they are genuinely in love and a couple, Bullock accompanies Andrew to his hometown in Alaska for his grandmother's 90th birthday.

It turns out Andrew's family are the Kennedys of Alaska, and Margaret finds herself out of her comfort zone in a rugged setting, surrounded by a warm and loving family. As the balance of power shifts from Margaret to Andrew, the ice maiden slowly melts. You can likely piece together what happens next.

Betty White is a gorgeous addition as the naughty 90-year-old, but this show belongs to Bullock and Reynolds. While there is an 11-year age difference between the two, it's not an issue - unless you remind yourself that Speed was released 15 years ago. Bullock easily gets away with being 10 years younger, and gets naked for the first time in a film to prove it.

It's nice seeing Bullock trying to play a nasty character, but she's still the goofy girl next door, and that's why this film works, everyone is likeable. While there are a few laboured gags, and the story wears thin by the end, if you're after a night out with the girls, a glass of wine and a laugh, then this is a good option.

Francesca Rudkin

Cast

: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds

Director

: Anne Fletcher

Running time

: 107 mins

Rating

: PG (Coarse Language)