The Proposal: Netflix streaming

I have a love it, leave it mentality with Netflix streaming. The love it is that they have thousands of movies for free streaming online. The leave it is that most are not great recently released movies. I have been putting this concept to the test the last several weeks and while the vast majority of movies I personally rate under 3-stars there are gems to be found. Once such gem is a rom-com, The Proposal, starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds.

Margaret (Bullock) is a unlikeable but effective editor at a large book publisher in New York. Her Canadian visa is revoked by the INS for a minor issue and rather than lose her job she establishes a series of lies that end with her blackmailing her loyal, overworked, never appreciated assistant Andrew (Reynolds) to marry her. To perpetuate this lie, the two travel from Margaret's ritzy life of east coast elite to Andrews hometown of Sitka, Alaska in order to let the family know they are getting married and Margaret can learn enough about Andrew to pass an INS exam. Andrew based on his job, knows everything about her.

Andrews family, played by Craig T. Nelson, Mary Steenburgen and Betty White, along with a large supporting cast of friends, creates a wonderful background for Bullocks Margaret to in essence, 'Not judge a book by its cover".  Along the way Margaret remembers why family and connectivity is so important and begins to unshackle herself from the single purpose life she has created for herself and Andrew begins to see how if he follows his personal demons he may lose himself as she has.

Pairing real life friends Reynolds and Bullock in a rom-com is true gold. Bullock plays very much against type cast yet she finds a way to display her known physical humor in a bathroom scene shared with a dog and a spirit dance with Betty White. Of course Bullock is beautiful and each scene plays to that trait, but the humor is in release of the bonds placed she has placed around the character. Reynolds continues to excel at playing any type, having just watched Chaos Theory, (also a great find on Netflix Streaming) Reynolds proves he can be make even non-action movies guy friendly.

Very much enjoyed this movie.