The Proposal - An aroma to tingle your senses. Review on The Proposal Movie

This one comes as a breezy light hearted romantic comedy albeit a new makeover. When you walk out you may not be reeling with an overdose of love but your heart will have a certain warmth and will be brimming with the ‘love is in the air’ feeling.

Plot:

Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) is the archetypical uptight boss who likes to be in control. She is the head of an editing agency. However, her cold and indifferent attitude towards her employees has earned her the title of ‘the witch’. She is assisted in her work by her personal secretary Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) who knows almost everything about his boss (even what type of latte she prefers). However, one day she is called upon by the immigration officers who tell her that her Visa has expired and she will be deported back to Canada. At this precise moment Andrew enters the room and Margaret gets a brainwave. She says she is getting married to Andrew. Later on, when Andrew refuses to marry her, Margaret threatens to kick him out of this job. The immigration officer suspects that this marriage is a façade and asks the ‘couple’ to prepare for an interview where he will ask each of them questions about the other. Since Andrew knows everything about Margaret while she knows nothing about him they head to Sitka to meet Andrew’s family. How Andrew and his family change Margaret and how during the process the couple actually falls in love is what the film is about.

Cast:

Sandra Bullock is almost picture perfect as Margaret Tate. I mean many actors have played the uptight corporate boss over the years but there is a certain ‘Sandra-esque’ feeling about Margaret. Ryan Reynolds doesn’t say much but his expressions are brilliant! The scene where Margaret introduces him as her husband when he has no clue what’s going on is hilarious. I couldn’t help but narrate an excerpt:

Margaret (to the immigration officers): Have you met Andrew, my fiancé? We are getting married.

Immigration officer: But isn’t he your secretary?

Andrew: Yes, am I not your secretary??

Margaret: Yes, yes, but now we are getting married. This won’t be the first time someone has fallen for their secretary now, would it?

Immigration officer: How did this happen?

Margaret: I don’t know.

Andrew: Yeah. Me neither.

Margaret: I mean, I don’t know when all those lonely nights staying back for work turned into love.

Andrew: They did?

Margaret: They did.

Andrew: Oh yeah… they did.

It turns out that Andrew’s family has some sort of royal descent and practically owns most of Sitka. Margaret is overwhelmed by Andrew’s wealth but more so of the fact that she was unaware of this fact and she treated Andrew practically like dirt.

Margaret: Why didn’t you tell me you were some sort of Alaskan Kennedy?

Andrew: Let’s see… we were in the middle of talking about you… for the last 3 years!

Andrew’s family has no clue that this is not a real marriage so they treat the ‘couple’ as a real couple who is about to get married. Though behind closed doors Andrew sleeps on the floor and Margaret takes the bed. It is during these conversations that the ‘couple’ finds out more things about each other and begins to appreciate the other more. Andrew’s grandmother teaches Margaret the ‘nature dance’ whilst she teaches her to ‘shake your booty’. An accidental meeting where they see each other naked leads to conversation like:

Andrew: Don’t take this the wrong way.

Margaret: Ok.

Andrew: You are a very, “very” beautiful woman.

Even though the end is quite expected, the movie keeps you in a light mood till the end and even though when you come out you might not say ‘Whoah, I saw something that changed my life’, the movie still keeps that smile on your face constant. The proposal truly is an aroma to tingle your senses…