The Proposal

Review Haiku

I am halfway done

And I have a Proposal:

Let’s do 15 more!

Rating: 2.5/5

If you’ve stuck with me this far, you know this is a momentous day. It’s the halfway point of David’s ROM-COM Challenge 2015. Hold your applause.

Fifteen movies have been watched. Fifteen movies remain. Through thick and thin, tooth and nail, I find myself looking to the future with optimism. I’ve watched good movies (When Harry Met Sally), decent movies (Notting Hill), bad movies (How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days), and and “movies” (here’s to you, Gigli). More await, for better or for worse.

As I’ve become accustomed to the daily grind and routine of this endeavor, I’ve realized that this is more enjoyable than I let on. You may have surmised that I have an exorbitant amount of free time. The challenge serves to fill that free time. It’s rather nice, I have to say.

For those of you that have enjoyed my posts, thank you! For those you have despised them, well, I’m not one to judge. For those who have no idea who I am and think I’m a whack job, you’re entitled to your opinion! For this guy…

…well, I hope to tickle your fancy in some form down the road. Give me a chance!

Now, let’s talk about The Proposal.

Chemistry

I hated chemistry in high school. People generally tend to hate things they suck at. While I hated the subject, though, I recognized its importance. Without chemistry, we’d all be dead! (To put it as simply as possible.)

Chemistry is also essential in film, particularly in romantic comedies. When an entire story typically revolves around one actor and one actress, those two must be on the same page in every single scene from start to finish. When the story in question is asinine at best, the chemistry between the two leads needs to flourish even more, lest the film occupy the doldrums of movie history.

The Proposal is saved, in every sense of the word, by Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. Reynolds plays Andrew, an aspiring editor, who is the assistant for the tyrannical Margaret Tate, played by Bullock. When Margaret learns her visa was denied and she’s about to be deported to Canada (eh?), she hurriedly forces Andrew to marry her so that she can remain in the U.S. Hijinks ensue. You probably know the outcome without thinking: the pair despises one another before eventually realizing they’re perfect for each other, and they get married. Yes, that’s exactly what happens.

But Reynolds and Bullock are spot on, which saves this script from becoming pure drivel. Any scene they are both in is better than any other scene in the movie. Reynolds’ perpetual “fuck my life” face never gets old, and Bullock does a very good job of making the transition from Nazi boss to sympathetic, forlorn immigrant seem realistic.

Why chemistry was important in this particular movie

Without the help of its two leads, this movie would have suuuuuckkkkeeedddd. Besides a moment or two courtesy of Betty White, the entirety of the cast is dull and uninspired. The most exciting character is a fluffy white Samoyed (who gets stolen by a vulture, which I found funny).

The subplots are insipid: we have Andrew’s rich father, who is disappointed his son won’t stay in Sitka, Alaska (a place on my travel bucket list for years, by the way) to carry on the family business; there is Andrew’s almost-fiancee Gertrude, who is supposedly important but who could be replaced by a goddamn conifer without impacting the plot; and there is Betty White’s character Grandma Annie who, while funny, is only part of the movie to fake a heart attack at the very end for almost no reason other than to advance the plot.

Thank God for solid casting.

Final thoughts

Ryan Reynolds’ abs: Look, I’m jealous, OK? Deal with it.

Money: This movie made $163 million. I don’t take offense to that, but yeesh. That’s a lot of money for a rom-com.

Quotes: Are you looking for a quote? Because you’re not getting one. The Proposal had no quotes of note. Anything funny was a result of the chemistry between Bullock and Reynolds, not the terrible script.

The Run: Make that nine of 15 movies now that involve a last-minute dash to save a relationship. Don’t these people know what phones are?

ROM-COM Challenge 2015: Mid-challenge review

I would have made this look nice if I had Illustrator but it’s on my computer at home. Sad face.

BY THE NUMBERS

Movies watched: 15

Average Rotten Tomatoes rating: 58.5%

High: Some Like It Hot, 96%

Low: Gigli, 6%

Time spent watching: 1,478 minutes, or 24.6 hours

Words written: 15,862 (holy crap)

Blog visitors: 301

Clicks: 922

Hours spent writing at work: Let’s not talk about it

Other Notes

Favorite movie: There’s Something About Mary

Least favorite movie: Gigli, as if that surprised anyone at all

Best performance: Toss up between Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally and Julia Roberts in Notting Hill

Worst performance: Jennifer Lopez in Gigli, as if that surprised anyone at all once again

Thank you for reading! I hope the next 15 are as fun (?) as the first 15.