The Proposal (2009) - Bullock, Reynolds & Co. make this cookie cutter romcom work

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+ Best On-Screen Couple of the Year: Sandra Bullock & Ryan Reynolds + Best Romcom of the Year

 

Two beloved Hollywood stars in a twinkle-eyed proposal on this poster for Anne Fletcher's The Proposal

A zealous New York editor gets into a clinch with the immigration authorities, because she is from Canada. To get out of the situation, she makes her personal assistant her fiancée. 

 

The Proposal is written by Peter Chiarelli (Crazy Rich Asians (2018)) and directed by Anne Fletcher (Step Up (2006)).

It is a thoroughly charming and well-made crowd-pleaser romcom. There's never any doubt about the direction of the at first professional boss/employee relationship at the film's core, and the road there might not be packed with surprises, but the stars sell the film in role model fashion nevertheless:

Ryan Reynolds (Red Notice (2021, VoD)) is cute-as-pie here, and Sandra Bullock (Bird Box (2018, VoD)) is full of wonderful facial expressions and seems perfect for this part. Betty White (Bones 2015-17)) is the film's funny third leg, and she also brings a lot of life and joy to The Proposal, along with Mary Steenburgen (Grace and Frankie (2020, TV-series)) and Oscar Nuñes (Mr. Iglesias (2019-20)), who is hilarious as the character Ramone.

The entire plot part about the immigration agent pursuing the 'couple' with grotesque questions is (of course) completely unrealistic, - but the film's other qualities weigh out this issue with aplomb.

 

Related posts:

 

Anne Fletcher: The Guilt Trip (2012) - Rogen/Streisand buoy low-fuel road dramedy

2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV] 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 40 mil. $

Box office: 317.3 mil. $
= Huge hit (returned 7.93 times the cost)

[The Proposal premiered 1 June (Hollywood) and runs 108 minutes. Julia Roberts was offered the lead but declined it. Shooting took place from April - June 2008 in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The film opened #1 to a 33.6 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 4 weekends in the top 5 (#2-#3-#5-#5), grossing 163.9 mil. $ (51.7 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 19.2 mil. $ (6.1 %) and Germany with 18.5 mil. $ (5.8 %). The film was nominated for a Golden Globe, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. It made in excess of 90 mil. $ on the North-American home video market. Fletcher returned with The 82nd Annual Academy Awards (2010, segment) and theatrically with The Guilt Trip (2012). Bullock returned in All About Steve (2009); Reynolds in Paper Man (2009). The Proposal is rotten at 45 % with a 5.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Proposal?

Elf (2003) - Favreau and Ferrell supply belly laughs and Christmas magic

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+ Best Christmas Movie of the Year + Best Huge Hit of the Year 

Will Ferrell is strapped for hijinks inside a Christmas ball on this poster for Jon Favreau's Elf

Buddy is a human who is raised in the elf world, who now discovers his different origin and decides to travel to New York to find his father. - But life is hard in the big city for an elf!

Will Ferrell (Semi-Pro (2008)) lights up every scene like a Christmas lantern in the title role here in this wonderful family comedy. Elf flies high on his spirited performance, the strange and creatively accomplished elf world on the North Pole, and a great sense of absurd comedy coupled with genuinely sweet moments.
Ferrell receives enthusiastic backup from Zooey Deschanel (Our Idiot Brother (2011)), Michael Lerner (The Mod Squad (1999)), Peter Dinklage (Human Nature (2001)), James Caan (Viva Las Nowhere (2001)) and Mary Steenburgen (I Am Sam (2001)) in supporting parts.
Elf is written by David Berenbaum (The Haunted Mansion (2003)) and directed by great New-Yorker director Jon Favreau (The Jungle Book (2016)). It is handsomely produced, funny, thrilling and has Christmas magic in spades. It is a favorite with just about everyone.

Related posts:

Jon Favreau: 2016 in films - according to Film Excess
The Jungle Book (2016) - Favreau's great, widest appealing movie to date
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess   
Iron Man 2 (2010) - Favreau and Theroux's boisterous, entertaining sequel

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

Cost: 33 mil. $
Box office: 220.4 mil. $
= Huge hit
[Elf premiered 9 October (Austin Film Festival) and runs 97 minutes. Jim Carrey was offered the role, but turned it down, and Terry Zwigoff was offered to direct but turned it down in preference for his Christmas movie, Bad Santa (2003). Shooting took place in Vancouver, Canada and in New York from December 2002 - March 2003. Buddy's (Ferrell) singing in Gimbel's' Santa-land wasn't scripted; Ferrell reportedly made it up on the spot. The film opened #2, behind The Matrix Revolutions, to a 31.1 mil. $ opening weekend in North America, where it rose to #1 in its second week (a substantially quieter week at the box office) and spent a total of 6 weeks in the top 5, grossing 173.3 mil. $ (78.6 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 28 mil. $ (12.7 %) and Australia with 6.1 mil. $ (2.8 %). Roger Ebert gave the film 3/4 stars, equal to a notch harder than this review. It has since its release been listed as one of the best Christmas films of all time by several respected publications. The film has spun a 2010 Broadway musical and a 2014 NBC special, with Jim Parsons playing Buddy. Elf is certified fresh at 84 % with a 7 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Elf?

Casa de los Babys (2003) - Sayles' great adoption drama

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+ Best Low-Budget Movie of the Year

The impressive all-female primary cast are highlighted on this German poster for John Sayles' Casa de los Babys

QUICK REVIEW:

In a South American hotel, a group of American and one Irish woman live, awaiting the arrival of their soon-to-be adopted children. With each their own story.

New York-born writer-director John Sayles (The Brother From Another Planet (1984)) explores the human fates with a sensitive hand and seemingly real insight into his material here. As a quiet observer, we are here witnesses to the story's idle development.
The film is both touching and shocking; it has fine montages (cinematography by Mauricio Rubinstein (New York, I Love You (2008))) and music (by Mason Daring (Honeydripper (2007))), and it provides a serious, semi-critical look at the adoption business.
It gathers an impressive all-female primary cast; especially fine performances are given by Daryl Hannah (Grumpy Old Men (1993)), Rita Moreno (West Side Story (1961)), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Secretary (2002)) and Marcia Gay Harden (Mystic River (2003)), once again as a sinful heavy.

 

Related posts:

 

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Wacth the feeble trailer here

Cost: 0.8 mil. $
Box office: 0.4 mil. $ (US only)
= Huge flop
[The film opened in Venice Film Festival. Despite good reviews, it had a weak, limited run in America. The only other number is that it made just under 50k in Spain. The unsatisfying fate for this great film is disheartening.]

What do you think of Casa de los Babys?
Other Sayles films that beckon a watch?

The Brave One (2007) - How to act in the afterwake of random, deadly violence

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Star Jodie Foster looks like she is blaming herself something terrible while holding a gun on this yellow-tinged poster for Neil Jordan's The Brave One

When Erica Bain and her boyfriend are beaten up at random under a tunnel in a park in New York, he dies from his injuries. She subsequently loses her sense of self and changes into another person: A person on a vendetta. First based on self-defense, but soon after with acts of vigilante justice.

 
The Brave One is written by Cynthia Mort (Roseanne (1994-97)), Bruce A. Taylor (Instant Karma (1990)) and Roderick Taylor (Super Force (1990-92)) and directed by Neil Jordan (Angel (1982)).

I enjoyed the suspense-elements of Jodie Foster's (The Silence of the Lambs (1991)) Bain's relationship to the police detective (played by Terrence Howard (Fighting (2009))), who seems close to knowing her involvement in the deaths of city hoodlums, but neglects to actively find this out because he quietly condones it. But it is the moral question of the right or wrong of committing vigilante justice that is the driving core of The Brave One. In that light, it is an inappropriate title for the film, unless it is meant as a compliment to the Bain character for confronting her demons, which she does in the film. Inappropriate because it seems to have already decided that she is right to do so with deadly force.
The film is like a character study of that woman, and Foster is just the gutsy actress who can make it stick. The film has a neat visual expression and a sparse score by Dario Marianelli (V for Vendetta (2005)).

Related posts:

Neil Jordan: 1994 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) - Jordan's tame, platonically gay vampire yawner 

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

Cost: 70 mil. $
Box office: 69.7 mil. $
= Huge flop (returned 0.99 times its cost)

[The Brave One premiered 6 September (Toronto International Film Festival) and runs 122 minutes. Foster received 15 mil. $ for her performance in the film, reportedly the largest paycheck of her career. Shooting took place around June 2006 in New York. The film opened #1 to a 13.4 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent one more weekend in the top 5 (#3), grossing 36.7 mil. $ (52.7 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Germany with 4.2 mil. $ (6 %) and Japan with 3.3 mil. $ (4.7 %). The film was nominated for a Golden Globe, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, translating to a notch over this one. Jordan returned with Ondine (2009). Foster returned in Nim's Island (2008). The Brave One is rotten at 31 % at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of The Brave One?