The Proposal (12A)

Another dagger in the back of romantic comedy.

Sandra Bullock plays against type as a hard-as-nails publisher whose charmless control-freak ways have secured her place as the office monster. When US immigration threaten her with deportation – she's a Canadian without a visa – Bullock makes an impromptu escape bid; she'll marry her assistant (Ryan Reynolds), who's such a wuss that he goes along with it. First, though, they must spend a weekend in Alaska with his family, and we must watch as Bullock claws her way towards a semblance of amiability. Reynolds isn't bad, raising a laugh with his looks of suppressed horror at her cynical marriage scam (who can blame him?), but Bullock struggles pitifully as the career-witch with spiky stilettos and Vuitton luggage.