From director Anne Fletcher and writer Pete Chiarelli comes a very funny romantic comedy (think chick-flick here) staring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Bullock and Reynolds cast their charismatic magic on-screen with the help of a really good supporting cast that includes Betty White, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, and Oscar Nunez (The Office).
The premise seems simple enough: Bullock plays Margaret, a hard-working CEO-type of a publishing company (think ‘witch’ with a ‘b’) that is hated by her office staff. Her assistant is played by Reynolds, and in the first scenes we see her weld her power when Reynolds’s character Andrew Paxton spills her coffee on himself and he gives her his coffee, which turns out to be the same kind she drinks. Brown nosing with the boss or just survival tactics?
Reynolds adds much needed depth to his character - he is the master of facial expression. What could have been a dud role with a dweeb assistant becomes very funny and enjoyable as Bullock and Reynolds banner back and forth.
The comedy increases hundred fold when Bullock asks him to make the ultimate sacrifice: pretend to be engaged so that she won’t be deported to Canada and lose her job. The plot might be a little weak, as I am not sure that Canada deportations happen all that often, and if they do, would such a panic set in? But who am I to judge? It makes for a very funny situation.
The farce continues as the ‘couple’ goes to Paxton’s hometown, which happens to be in Alaska, and we learn more about Andrew Paxton (apparently he is, as Margaret points out, some kind of ‘Alaskan Kennedy’). They continue to keep the charade of being engaged alive in front of his parents (Steenburgen and Nelson) and his Grandma Annie (White), and ultimately the whole town of Sitka.
The picturesque landscape almost becomes a character in itself, though it should be noted that town and office scenes were actually filmed in Massachusetts, and the snow-covered mountains seen were added in digitally post-production.
But on Blu-ray, it looks amazing, and quite convincing, though I’ll wager residents of Sitka, Alaska might gaff.
The location also adds to the comedy - Bullock’s character Margaret is clearly out of her element. Not only does she have to deal with the monstrous lie that she and her ‘fiancé’ have cooked up, but she has to contend with dog-snatching eagles, falling overboard into icy waters, and cell phone troubles.
The supporting cast adds to the charm - anything with Betty White in it is bound to be hilarious (I loved her in Lake Placid). She plays the kooky but wise grandma to the hilt. Some of the funniest scenes are when she graces the screen. The other quirky element was Oscar Nunez’s character, Ramone, who plays a jack-of-all-trades of sorts and fulfills several roles - exotic dancer, caterer, preacher.
The Blu-ray comes loaded with special features that include a second disc for available digital copy as well as an exclusive to Blu-ray feature that includes an additional deleted scene.
Other features include: an alternate ending with commentary by the director and writer, deleted scenes and an optional for commentary, on the set antics, and feature audio commentary from Fletcher and Chiarelli.
This movie comes recommended to anyone who is a fan or romantic comedy, Bullock, or Reynolds. However, if the genre is not your favorite, or you are tired of seeing Bullock in her usual quirky comedic romantic style film, it might come across as a bit stilted.
I am of the opinion that Bullock and Reynolds had enough on-screen magic to pull it off, and I thoroughly enjoyed the film. The ending might make you roll your eyes, but even that didn’t bother me.
It is a great chick-flick film to sit down and watch with a bowl of ice cream and can be polished off with a hastily popped bowl of popcorn. It is a no-brainer: just lit back and enjoy and don’t think too much about it, just laugh and have fun with it.
CLIPS ADDED:
We’re Getting Married -
Bloopers – Bonus Feature -
Walk and Talk -
Getting to the Boat -
Take the Dog -
Giving Thanks -
Trailer -
The Proposal [Blu-ray] is now available at Amazon . Visit the DVD database for more information.
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