Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in "The Proposal"
courtesy of Disney Home Entertainment
“I Propose You Watch ‘The Proposal’”

Sometimes it’s the script; sometimes it’s the stars; sometimes it’s the subject matter. But never underestimate the power of good chemistry on the silver screen. If it is there it can make a bad movie good, if it isn’t it can make a good movie bad. In the case of Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock in “The Proposal,” now out on DVD, it makes a good movie even better.

Margaret Tate (Bullock) is a Book Editor at a prestigious publishing company in New York. Andrew Paxton (Reynolds) is her Administrative Assistant. He spends his time making her look good and she spends her time making his life miserable. So imagine how he feels when suddenly she needs his help – BIG TIME!

Margaret is a Canadian citizen in the US on a work visa. It is expiring and she is being deported. To solve the problem she announces she and Andrew are getting married. She then blackmails him into going along with this farce. But she also has to go along on a weekend visit to celebrate his Grandmother Annie’s (Betty White) ninetieth birthday celebration in his hometown in Alaska.

There the happy couple spends time with Mom and Dad Paxton (Mary Steenburgen and Craig T Nelson) as well as Grammy Annie. This is where the chemistry goes into overdrive and the movie becomes a lot of fun.

This is Bullock’s best movie since “Miss Congeniality”, and we all know what a TV staple that one has become. Bullock shows expert comedic timing, and also looks great – clothed or naked as in one hilarious scene.

Reynolds is a few years younger than Bullock but that fact is never mentioned directly in the movie. He is a handsome actor and matches Bullock’s comic timing and great shape. The two of them spar with gusto and hurl the repartee with enthusiasm.

Rounding out the movie is the beloved Betty White. She steals, or gives a good old college try, to every scene in which she appears. She is a little raunchy and entirely loveable. She is the seasoning for this funny film.

“The Proposal” is a chick flick guys can enjoy. It has enough laugh out loud moments to keep any crowd happy. Plus the emotional scenes are not drawn out but are always quickly followed with a sharp joke sequence.

So get “The Proposal” and see why Sandra Bullock has been such a major star for so many years. She is one of a kind. Plus she has the perfect co-star in the affable and handsome Reynolds. Together they do light up this enjoyable movie.

On the other hand, “Drag Me To Hell” is one wild ride of a movie. It is a Sam “Evil Dead” Raimi horror flick told in a campy manner. The viewer gets a chance to laugh between the gasps and screams. Allison Lohman and Justin Long star in the film but the one who steals the show is Lorna Raver.

Christine Brown (Lohman) works as a loan officer at a bank. She is in the running for an Assistant Manager position but her boss (David Paymer) tells her she has to be more aggressive if she wants the new position. When an old lady named Mrs. Ganush (Raver) comes in and asks for an extension on her home loan Christine says no.

Mrs. Ganush becomes so incensed that she puts a curse on Christine. She later puts up a fight that is an amazing scene to watch. After being cursed Christine finds her life unraveling. She convinces her boyfriend Clay to take her to a psychic (Dileep Rau). He tells her that a demon will come and drag her to hell if she doesn’t get the curse lifted.

The rest of the movie shows Christine being attacked by otherworldly forces and trying to come up with a way to get the curse reversed. Oh, and she also tries to just go on with her life. She really does come across as naïve and dumb.

Lohman does a good job of conveying Christine’s insecurities and desperation. She is convincing in her portrayal and has you cheering for Christine to succeed. Long is strangely bland as the boyfriend. He has a few humorous lines but they don’t even justify him being in the movie. Plus there is zero chemistry between him and Lohman.

The “star” of the movie is Raver. She is a demon and a half as Mrs. Ganush. The role requires her to suffer quite a few indignities but she is always ready to do whatever is necessary for her art. If that means taking out her teeth or taking out her eye, she’s willing.

“Drag Me To Hell” goes a little bit over the top before it ends, and loses any semblance of reality in the “cursed” setting. The jokes tend to get better but the plot gets worse. The audience should be able to rely on the story at least making sense as to what works against the occult and what doesn’t.

When the movie ends, it is with disappointment as to how it all turned out. It is a funny, horror ride that breaks down in the end. Still this is another DVD worth your time in watching.

“Every Little Step” is a movie/documentary for those who like a “behind the scenes look” at the origins of a play. In this film it is the first production of “A Chorus Line” and the recent revival of the play. The film takes us into the auditioning process for the revival but also gives us glimpses into the mindset of Michael Bennett and his co-workers on the original play.

Bennett is dead so you can’t get any updated information from him but his star and close personal friend, Donna McKechnie, is interviewed on film. She played “Cassie” in the original production and has a great deal of insight into how it all came about.

Step by step people are eliminated in the auditioning process and with each departure there is a little heartbreak. But when the roles are announced it is time for celebrating. Still seeing what an ordeal auditioning is makes most of us know we could never be that tough skinned.

If you like musical plays and you want to know what goes on in the background then watch the DVD of “Every Little Step.” It is fun and informative.

Another DVD documentary of a completely different type of story is “The Six Degrees of Helter Skelter.” This film analyzes the “Manson Family Murders” and gives new information you have not seen. There are photos and autopsy reports divulged for the first time.

The world seems to never tire of learning more and more about this horrific event in America’s past. Charles Manson and his crew of killers have become legendary and this documentary re-examines it all again. So get the DVD titled “”The Six Degrees of Helter Skelter.”

Finally there is “An Old Fashioned Christmas.” This family oriented film stars Jacqueline Bisset as a woman estranged from her daughter (Helen Joy). There are tears and celebration as the two families are reunited after years of alienation.

This is the kind of movie you can watch with the entire family and feel good about everything when it ends. So get the DVD, and get the family together and watch “An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving.”
 

 

 

 

 

©2009 Jackie K. Cooper

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