The proposal relies heavily upon established cinematic trends and gimmicks; all of which have been inexpertly applied into average ‘rom-coms’. It borrows the crazy Granny from ‘Wedding Crashers’, the doomed pooch from ‘There’s Something about Mary’ and the nakedness from ‘The Break-Up’. So it’s immediately obvious that this patchwork of stolen gags isn’t really going to work on it’s own.
Sandra Bullock is expected to hold the film on her own as snobby publishing guru Margaret Tate. However she seems to have fully derailed her comedic ability in a role that has few laughs other than seeing her prance around Alaska in high heels. Her co-star is the much loved Ryan Reynolds who seems slightly embaressed the whole time. Perhaps that’s his character speaking or perhaps he realises that the material is no good. Although the choice for his parents (Mary Steenburgen and Craig T Nelson) is inspired, if they had a child it would look just like Ryan Reynolds.
But genetic craftsmanship in the casting department aside this is a rom-com seriously lacking in the com, not to mention the rom. The chemistry is non-existant; it’s hard to imagine the man married to Scarlett Johannson genuinely falling for Bullock’s prissy, dowdy control freak. And there are certain face-palm moments when Reynolds is running away from Malin Akerman, where people must be shouting through their popcorn ‘WRONG GIRL!!!’
This bucks the trend of hit-and-miss rom-coms by being constantly dull and predictable. More originality and attention to the details of plotting would certainly benefit any future romantic comedies which will be looking at ‘The Proposal’ as a new bench mark for low-intelligence, high-box office weepy chortles.
The Clapper Bored 
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