The Proposal starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds

Posted on September 1, 2010 Written by ripitup

The Proposal starring Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Betty White and Mary Steenburgen

Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) is a beautiful, successful and workaholic editor at a big publishing firm in New York. However to her co-workers, she is the absolute bitch from hell; especially to her long-suffering assistant Andew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds). He has been working day and night, putting in weekends so that he can be an editor himself. Unfortunately, this goal requires him being Margaret’s slave.

However Andrew gets the upper hand when Margaret is facing the problem of deportation as she is Canadian and her visa has expired. She finds the perfect solution: she will marry Andrew and keep her job and because she is staying in the firm, he won’t be fired. The unwilling Andrew gets a bigger shock when the immigration officer Mr. Gilbertson (Dennis O’ Hare) informs them that a fraud marriage will result in a prison sentence of 3 years and a fine about $250,000. So Andrew blackmails his way into an immediate promotion and they go to Alaska together to give Andrew’s family the good news. Of course they have to pretend they are in love and keep “the fraud” secret. So the grandmother Annie (Betty White) and mother Grace (Mary Steenburgen) are more than surprised when Andrew brings home the “absolute evil bitch”. However they are happy to have Andrew back and they are willing to welcome Margaret into the family. But the father of the house (Craig T. Nelson) is already bitter because Andrew didn’t take over the family business and moved to New York to be an editor’s assistant, a job area he doesn’t respect and a passion he doesn’t understand. Of course trouble doesn’t end there. Mr. Gilbertson isn’t willing to leave them alone and the more Margaret gets to know the family, the more she gets to love them. And Andrew starts seeing a whole new side to Margaret. But how is a business deal is supposed to work when feelings get involved?

The Proposal is one charming and hilarious romantic comedy. And don’t get the “romantic” part in the romantic comedy to cloud your judgment, as the movie does a wonderful job of making you laugh. The cast is marvelous, especially Betty White. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds have great chemistry and comedic timing together. This movie is 85-90% comedy. Note that gorgeous Malin Akerman also co-stars. She plays Gertrude, Andrew’s high school sweetheart.

Written by Pete Chiarelli and directed by Anne Fletcher. Sandra Bullock was nominated for Best Actress in a Comedy at the Golden Globes for her role. Rated at 6.7 on IMDB. All around fun. 7/10 from me.

Favorite Scenes:

* any scene with the dog Kevin – especially the “eagle dance”

*The bathroom scene- the naked “clash”

*Sandra Bullock and Betty White chanting in the forest together

Favorite Lines:

– on the clash – Margaret blames it on the dog blocking her way.

Andrew: Oh- I barely made my with my life out there.

and pretty much anything during the ending credits.

Other Posts Featuring Ryan Reynolds

Foolproof starring Ryan Reynolds

The Nines starring Ryan Reynolds and Hope Davis

20 Tall Actors from Hollywood

Other Posts on Sandra Bullock

While You Were Sleeping starring Bill Pullman and Sandra Bullock

The Lake House starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves

The Blind Side starring Sandra Bullock

In Good Company starring Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace and Scarlett Johansson

Posted on August 31, 2010 Written by ripitup

In Good Company starring Dennis Quaid, Scarlett Johansson and Topher Grace. Written and directed by Paul Weitz. 2004.

Dan (Dennis Quaid) is a 51-year-old successful ad executive. He is happily married with 2 daughters and has been working at the same company for over 20 years. And recently he has received two life-altering news: his wife (Marg Helgenberger) is pregnant and his company has been recently been bought by a corporation so he now has a new boss, Carter (Topher Grace). The problem is Carter is half his age, has no experience in advertising and he is under constant pressure to lay people off, Dan making the top of the list.

Carter is a total workaholic. But when it comes to his social life, he is alone. His wife (Selma Blair) dumps him and he tries to form an unlikely friendship with Dan. But Dan isn’t particularly fond of this rookie who has his job, his office and who keeps firing his friends. And his beloved 18-year-old daughter Alex (Scarlett Johansson) has moved to New York to study at NYU and she starts seeing Carter…

In Good Company is simply a beautiful, bittersweet and funny film where art imitates life. I saw the film for the second time last night. The first time was when the movie had first hit the theaters and I wasn’t all that impressed. I had found it ordinary. I guess I was fooled by the movie’s taglines :“He’s rich, young and handsome. He’s in love with you and he’s your dad’s boss.” – which does make it sound like a romantic comedy. And I guess at 20, I was expecting a fun romantic comedy rather than a true-to-life drama with fun parts, so I was disappointed.

At 26, I loved every minute of it. At 26, I am trying to build my life as a freelancer, so that I won’t have to go through what Dan goes through at his age. And almost all my friends are trying to be a hotshot like Carter, without thinking anything through.

I loved how it wasn’t a romantic comedy and how it wasn’t focused on Alex and Carter’s relationship but the effects it has on the relationship with Alex and Dan. But most importantly, I loved the friendship and alliance eventually getting formed between Dan and Carter and how Carter really wants what Dan has built for himself.

It helps that the cast is fantastic. You might have seen Topher Grace in the comedic TV series That 70’s show where he starred as Eric Forman (1998-2006). You might also watch Grace in Valentine’s Day. And of course there is the always charming Dennis Quaid and Scarlett Johansson.

Written and directed by Paul Weitz. 6.8 on IMDB. Depending on where you are in your life, it could very well get an 8.

Favorite Quote:

Carter: Dan, you seem to have the perfect marriage. How do you do it?
Dan: You just pick the right one to be in the foxhole with, and then when you’re outside of the foxhole you keep your dick in your pants.
Carter: That’s poetic.

Recommended film:

Up in the Air starring George Clooney

Other Dennis Quaid Movies

The Day After Tomorrow

Yours, mine and ours

Playing by Heart

Other Scarlett Johansson Movies

He is Just Not That Into You

Vicky Christina Barcelona

Iron Man 2

Snow Cake starring Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver and Carrie-Anne Moss

Posted on August 29, 2010 Written by ripitup

Snow Cake starring Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver and Carrie Anne-Moss. Image via thecinemasource.com

English ex-convict Alex (Alan Rickman) is on his way to Winnipeg to visit an old acquaintance when he meets the young, lively and overly talkative hitch-hiker Vivienne (Emily Hampshire). He half-heartedly agrees to give her a lift but soon starts enjoying her company. However, the fun part of the journey doesn’t last long as a terrible accident leaves Vivienne dead and Alex shocked. Not knowing what to do, he gets her information to see her mother Linda (Sigourney Weaver). However, instead of finding a shocked and grieving mother, he finds an autistic woman who seems to have more problems about the danger of Alex’s messing up her house than the death of her daughter. She decides that she needs Alex for the night, in fact for a couple of more days because now that Vivienne is gone, she needs someone to walk Vivienne’s dog and take out the thrash – two things she can’t handle. Alex finds himself staying, at first surprised and involuntarily but then starting to develop a friendship with Linda and enjoying her company. He enjoys his stay even more when he meets Linda’s beautiful and single next door neighbor Maggie (Carrie-Anne Moss). He soon hooks up with her and Alex realizes that his relationship with Maggie and his friendship with Linda might just be the therapy he needs. His responsibilities include organizing a funeral and he also ends up learning Linda’s story and we get to hear Alex’s…

Snow Cake is a wonderfully emotional and sweet film with great acting. Of course the heavy burdens are on Sigourney Weaver’s and Alan Rickman’s shoulders as she needs to come off as authentic as an autistic person and Alan has to sell us a multi-layered character who has emotional baggage and seems to be caring about a stranger a lot more than a person normally would…

Now, Snow Cake is not a film to watch for laughs, although there are moments that will put smiles and even grins on your face. But it is a drama with some unique parts and wonderful dialogue. However it all comes together a little slowly and if you are in need of some quick entertainment, Snow Cake is not it.

But this movie has a great tagline that sums up the whole experience: “Sometimes stopping is the most important part of the journey…”

Written by Angela Pell, and directed by Marc Evans. 7.6 on IMDB. No objections here. See it, but be a little patient with the characters and the pace.

Recommended:

You might also enjoy Adam. Which is more of a romance than a drama, but it centers on another high-functioning autistic person, this time played by Hugh Dancy.

City of Industry starring Harvey Keitel, Stephen Dorff and Timothy Hutton

Posted on August 28, 2010 Written by ripitup

City of Industry starring Harvey Keitel, Stephen Dorff and Timothy Hutton. Also-starring Famke Jannsen.

Lee Egan (Timothy Hutton) thinks he has got the plan and the crew for the perfect heist of diamonds: he brings in Jorge (Wade Dominguez) – a family man with 2 kids, facing the risk of jail, Lee’s own brother – retired but capable thief Roy (Harvey Keitel) and Skip (Stephen Dorff).

It turns out that Lee really had the right plan, as the crew manages to steal over $3,000,000 worth of loots. However he has chosen a wrong guy –as Skip kills both Lee and Jorge and just misses Roy. Skip runs with all their shares. Now, Roy is pissed and eager to avenge his brother and Skip him pay. His search brings him to Rachel (Famke Janssen), Jorge’s wife. Rachel wants in. She helps Roy find Skip through Jorge’s connections, in return for a cut. With other men after Skip, and Skip’s connections after Roy, and Roy after Skip with vengeance, who will survive and get the money?

***

This is the part I give you the spoilers. Well, they are not really spoilers as this is a typical crime flick and you knew Roy would get the money and save Rachel and all that. So it is a happy ending with the good guy winning. Now, if you are a total Harvey Keitel or a Stephen Dorff fan, I guess there is some fun you can get out of this movie. But if you watch the movie for Timothy Hutton, then you will be disappointed as well, he gets killed early into the story. Famke Jannsen is gorgeous as usual, so I can say that she is the one pretty thing about this otherwise boring film. Yes, it has some good moments but even as a fan of heist and/or revenge films, I found it really slow and boring. Watch it if you don’t have a better alternative. There is also Lucy Liu in a small role.

If you want a smart and original film with Timothy Hutton, watch The Killing Room. If you want to watch him pull off perfect heists and entertain you superbly, watch his series Leverage. And if you do want a brilliant robbery film check out Clive Owen and Denzel Washington’s Inside Man.

Directed by John Irvin, 1997’s City of Industry is rated at 6.0 on IMDB. 4/10 from me.

And no, I have no idea why Timothy Hutton is on the poster and not Famke.

All posts on Timothy Hutton

The Absolute Timothy Hutton Trivia: 18 Facts About Leverage Star Timothy Hutton