Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds: 'The Proposal'

Anne Fletcher's new romantic comedy The Proposal is "hilarious fun," said Carrie Rickey in The Philadelphia Inquirer. Starring Sandra Bullock as a "needling publisher" and Ryan Reynolds as her "human pincushion" employee who agrees to marry her so she can get her green card, The Proposal showcases "two gifted physical comedians at the top of their game." (watch the trailer for The Proposal)

Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds do "prove a likable duo," said Claudia Puig in USA Today, and "when the story trains its focus on their interactions, things proceed swimmingly." But the movie "trips up in the second half, when the humor becomes too broad and the scenarios become outlandish."

The Proposal is "pure formula," said Michael Phillips in the Chicago Tribune, "guided by clearly notated, heavily underlined story beats from Green Card and Two Weeks' Notice," among "many others." And the movie depends heavily on supposed sexual tension, "which we never really see," even when the lead characters are "accidentally encountering each other in the nude." The Proposal is yet another forgettable rom-com—skip it.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up