Enjoyable romcom

Rating: 8/10 (22 July 2009)

The bare bones of this romcom are fairly familiar, albeit with a role reversal element. Sandra Bullock is Margaret, a hard-as-nails editor who makes the life of her personal assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) a misery. When she is faced with deportation back to Canada she blackmails him into marrying her. During the long weekend at his family home in Alaska the ice maiden gradually thaws and the inevitable happens.
But for a movie which runs along such well-oiled and predetermined tracks, The Proposal is very entertaining. Bullock is very convincing as the boss from hell, and her gradual change is believable. Reynolds is sympathetic and funny and knocks out some decent acting. Mary Steenburgen and Craig T Nelson give good support as Andrew's differently motivated parents, and Betty White has a ball as nonagenarian grandmother Anna.
The script is bright and breezy with some very funny moments, decent motivations for the characters, and sufficient sentiment without being schmaltzy.
I liked this movie a lot.