The Proposal

From the desk of The Move Snob

The Proposal (C). Good romantic comedy is hard to find, and this isn't it. Sandra Bullock (Speed) plays Margaret Tate, a high-powered editor who was probably Miranda Priestly's classmate at the Cruella de Vil Finishing School for Young Women. Ryan Reynolds (Adventureland) plays Andrew Paxton, her long-suffering assistant who pines for an editorial position of his own. When Margaret, a Canadian, runs into immigration trouble, she blackmails Andrew into a marriage scheme. By a remarkable coincidence of timing, this means they have to travel to Alaska for his grandma's 90th birthday party. Will the hydrochloric acid of familial love and togetherness dissolve the metallic hardness of Margaret's heart? Hm. Well, you can't diss a romantic comedy because it's formulaic, only because it doesn't breathe life into the formula, and this one doesn't. Margaret is way way WAY too witchy for a believable transformation after a single weekend in Sarah Palin Land, or for Andrew to forgive her for three years of torment. Plus she's just too old for him (Bullock is 12 years older than Reynolds, per imdb.com). I recommend that you turn down this Proposal.