The Ugly Truth (2009)

Here is a movie that the previous film that I reviewed, (500) Days of Summer, is 100% trying not to be… A romantic comedy that is clichéd with circumstances and characters that probably would never exist. Yet, The Ugly Truth uses the well-known formula to form a worthwhile theater-going experience.

The Ugly Truth takes a curve around the PG-13 rating for R-rated material that never steps close to the raunchiness of Apatow films, but has just enough blushful moments to appeal to the Sex and the City crowd. Gerard Butler (from 300 fame) is Mike, an alpha-male TV commentator who gets picked up by a desperate Sacramento news station despite disapproval from its high-strung head producer, Abby (Katherine Heigl). Obviously, Mike and Abby don’t see eye-to-eye on things, but the two draw close as Mike uses his extensive knowledge of the male ego to help Abby land the guy of her dreams.

This was a movie that was way better than I expected, nor was it anywhere near great. It’s most likely to get lost amongst the slew of rom-coms that are out there. Butler and Heigl’s chemistry is lacking a bit, but it’s mainly due to the script, not the acting. The R-rating will probably drive off a lot of viewers, but I almost appreciated the fact that it was taking a chance with the material; versus skirting around the issues like PG-13 films do… too bad it was for the most part unsuccessful.

I give The Ugly Truth 3 out of 5 badly hidden Scottish accents.

The Proposal (2009)

As many romantic comedies that are out there today, you tend to forget how important chemistry is between an actor and actress. There’s been Astaire & Rogers, Hepburn & Tracy, and now… Bullock & Reynolds? I wouldn’t go quite to that length, but I loved how the two actors worked together in this one. They save what is a not-so-inventive plot.

Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) is an over-worked assistant to a quite cruel, big shot book editor, Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock). When Margaret realizes that she hasn’t updated her Canadian immigration papers, she bribes Andrew into marrying her to avoid deportation. The two then fly to the mystic land of Alaska to meet Andrew’s family to redevelop what is already a strained relationship.

Pretty farfetched, huh? It’s not that the two make the plot plausible, but they make you forget about the silly concept by their reactions to each other and their circumstances. Betty White as Andrew’s grandmother adds a lot of humor and strength to her role, and although the character is way out there, Oscar Nunez from The Office brings life to a supporting role that usually would be forgettable.

Bullock and Reynolds aren’t quite Hepburn & Tracy yet, but if they continue to do movies like screwball comedies of old, they might just make it there. I give The Proposal 3.5 out of 5 nude run-ins.

Side note:
Are “funny” deleted takes during the closing credits becoming too overdone? The ones in this film just don’t make sense and aren’t funny. It almost left a bad taste in my mouth.