Not to be confused with the 2005 Aussie western The Proposition (which I did for some reason, I know, silly me), the 2009 romantic comedy The Proposal is a completely different beast. For one thing, this movie stars Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds instead of Guy Pearce and Ray Winstone, for another you have the director of 27 Dresses (Anne Fletcher) instead of the director of the oft-delayed The Road (John Hillcoat). So, it is safe to say the movies have no real connection, and I am glad about that, can you imagine Ray Winstone as a romantic lead? Me neither. Of course, I also cannot imagine Reynolds and Bullock as the leads in a western, at least not a serious one.

The romantic comedy has been a staple of the cinema for as long as I can remember.  Everyone knows that any romantic situation worth its salt is also ripe for comedy. Hollywood has certainly spotted that and consequently puts out romantic comedies with regularity.  This means that almost every romantic comedy situation has been used over and over and over again and that anyone who takes a job on a romantic comedy will either need to work very hard to make their version stand out, do a very good job of using the cliches to their advantage, or be prepared to be ignored. How does The Proposal fare? Not too badly.

The Proposal is not the sort of film that is going to push boundaries, so do not expect this movie to blow you away. That said, it does all the right things and proves itself worthy, keeping your attention even though it is pretty easy to guess where the story is going.

Let's set the stage. Ryan Reynolds is Andrew Paxton, an aspiring book editor currently working as executive assistant to one of the most demanding and fear-inducing editors in the business. Sandra Bullock is Margaret Tate, the hard-nosed chief editor whose mere approach is enough to send the entire office into a frenzy of activity to ensure they are not noticed. She also happens to be editor for whom Andrew works. Trouble begins when Margaret is called to her boss's office, where she learns she is to be deported to Canada  due to an expired work visa.  This cannot be, how will she be able to keep her nose to the grindstone if she isn't in the office and doesn't have her job? The solution looks to be a simple one -- a sham marriage to her assistant, followed by a quickie divorce.

Article Author: Chris Beaumont

Christopher Beaumont spends much of his time writing about music and movies when he isn't indulging in them. He is always ready to talk about his favorite form of entertainment and offer up recommendations. Follow: Twitter and Tumblr. Visit: Critical Outcast. …

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