'The Proposal' review

Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock (Credit: Sam Emerson/Touchstone)

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Real vs. reel romance

How famous on-screen couples fare in love off camera

Icy New York City-based book editor Margaret (Sandra Bullock) excels at her job and treats all her colleagues like dirt—including her devoted assistant, Andrew (Ryan Reynolds), who only puts up with it to advance his career. When Margaret discovers her work visa is about to expire, which would force her to return to Canada, she puts Andrew's devotion to the ultimate test: they have to get married so Margaret can stay in the country. Then comes the really hard part—Andrew introduces Margaret to his family, including his parents (Craig T. Nelson, Mary Steenburgen) and grandmother (Betty White), back in Alaska.

The buzz: Bullock remains a likable and legitimate star, in spite of a sporadic screen output, and returns to romantic comedy for the first time since 2002's "Two Weeks Notice." Reynolds' star is still on the rise after a string of so-so box office performers including "Blade: Trinity," "The Amityville Horror," "Just Friends" and "Definitely, Maybe." He was most recently seen in a small role in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" intended to lead to his own spin-off movie. Having this film become a summer hit would certainly help.

The verdict: A better comedy than romance, "The Proposal" can't ever quite get over the forced premise of unlikely love blossoming under the gun. But genuine laughs are more than the romantic comedy genre has seen in awhile, and the movie gets them thanks to its charismatic leads. Bullock rises to the challenge of less than ideal casting, layering her bitch goddess with the requisite neuroses and inner warmth, while Reynolds squirms under pressure like a pro. Both the actors and characters are equally matched, a virtue that's especially evident as Margaret and Andrew square off in a series of power games during the film's opening stretch. "The Proposal" gets sillier, and more conventional, the longer it runs; padded with too many sequences (a visit to an Alaskan male stripper; tribal chanting in the woods) that would've been better off as deleted scenes on the DVD. The supporting cast is also wasted—White makes the strongest impression with her trademark old lady spunk—missing obvious opportunities to heighten the dramatic and comedic stakes. Still, romantic comedy fans will get what they want and, at least this time, those pleasures are a little less guiltier than usual.

Did you know? Although most of the film's action is set in the small town of Sitka, Alaska, it was actually shot in Massachusetts.

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