Dangereuse proposition

All of the warning signs are there from frame one: an opening sequence that intercuts between shots of the movie and the credits on a black screen, mobsters fresh out of movie mobster school, and unnecessary cross dissolves from one scene to the next. And then of course there are the fellow police officers who yell at one another most of the time, whether it be the captain admonishing the hero for taking too much time on the case or the hero and his new partner who don't see eye to eye.

I figured at the very least if I stuck around, I would be treated to some gratuitous nudity courtesy of the beautiful Jennifer Esposito. Unfortunately that didn't happen, yet I found myself being absorbed by the developing relationship between her character and the undercover cop played by Nick Moran.

There are some nice moments that elevate the film above its direct-to-video trappings. A scene where Esposito places a banana to her ear as if it were a phone has such a genuineness and spontaneity that it doesn't come off as a cheap attempt at humor but as an actual moment involving real people.

The two leads deserve a lot of credit for making this movie what it is. Nick Moran has a certain star quality, a charisma that holds the viewer with him. He gives everything he has in this performance, particularly midway through the film when his psyche is tortured after having been forced to assassinate an enemy of the mobster he's trying to bring down. It's almost as if he didn't get the memo letting him know that this was direct-to-video garbage and that he really need not try so hard. Fortunately for the film and the viewer he does.

This film takes a familiar storyline and gives it a few interesting twists. I think that it is the characters and the script that make this movie as good as it is.

The story is about an undercover detective (Moran) who leads a paranoid existence, constantly vigilant against being found out for who he really is. In order to keep his cover intact, he reluctantly accepts a new partner (Esposito) who has no undercover training and who may eventually put him in jeopardy.

The Proposition takes you into the personal life of a detective who has been under for several months and the lengths he goes through to establish his identity as well as watch his own back.

The film's antagonist, Simon Bacig (Lang) is great. He is a villain's villiain who plays dangerous, vain, and eccentric, all without going over the top.

Great direction and script give this movie dimension and depth that allow you to get in touch with the characters and keep you hooked as you await the final outcome (which I guarantee, you won't be able to guess).

Nick Moran does well in this role, a consistent and believable element in a movie with a few twists and turns. You can relax with this movie for an evening, but if you're paying for this as a rental then you might do better to see Nick Moran in "Silent Partner." An episode of Miami Vice probably has a better way of mixing the good guys, bad guys, local police, and feds or FBI. The characters in this film make good sense and you could expect to find people like them, but character development is not very strong except for that of Nick Moran's character, Terry Martin. Jennifer Esposito as Susan Reece enters the stage with a dash of freshness, shows signs of that character trait at times, but doesn't really have a believable role. Don't blame the actress - the writers and director could have done better with her skill and the role. Not a bad movie, but not gripping, either.

The Proposal both contains surprises and is a surprise. The story is suspenseful and tight, acting solid, and direction skilled, all better than I had been expecting. Undercover cop Terry Martin (Nick Moran) and his new partner Susan Reese (Jennifer Esposito) infiltrate a crime lord's underground operation. But Reese, anxious to leave her desk job behind, pushes too quickly to get close to Big Boss Simon Bacig (Stephen Lang), and soon Martin doesn't know who he can trust. Figuring out exactly who is on whose side rapidly becomes an intriguing puzzle for the viewer.

The believable acting and storyline plus lack of any significant plot holes are a refreshing change from what Hollywood often churns out. This film won't insult your intelligence with gratuitous violence, unbelievable gun fights or unwarranted car chases; the R rating probably should have been PG-13. Esposito seems genuine and comfortable in front of the camera. Unfortunately Moran's performance is marred by what I assume to be a speech impediment of the actor ("wobbewy in pwogwess"), which distracts at times. Lang is convincing as the crime boss with an inflated ego who is used to getting whatever he wants. You'll recognize character actor William Davis who plays FBI Agent Gruning with an understated appeal. An interesting mix of flashbacks and flashforwards from director Richard Gale will taunt you with clues about the mystery.

No, this movie is not without weaknesses. Until Esposito can smooth out her New York accent, she'll be relegated to playing either ethnic or tough girl roles, otherwise she has the looks and talent for more significant acting jobs. Setting and filming the movie in New York or Chicago, rather than some unnamed generic city, would have added authenticity. The background music could have been better. Still, definitely worth a view, especially if you are fond of the genre.

"The Proposal" tells of an undercover cop (Moran), somewhere in some city investigating some bad guys who are doing something...um, something bad no doubt because they laugh at bad things and look bad...that' s how we know they're bad. Said cop needs a "wife" as an excuse to keep underworld meetings short. Enter Esposito...a cop with a desk job who goes undercover, but not under the covers, as the wife. Bottom line (drum roll, please) the good guys win. Yea! A typical lackluster, no-brainer B-movie cop flick with some Maxwell Smart techno-gun thingy thrown in, and an obvious lack of the "juice" required for car crashes/chases, stunts, explosions, sex/nudity..oh yeah...and REHEARSALS. With a very tame R-rating for a couple of shootouts, "The Proposal" ignors the Hollywood maxim "When in doubt, titillate", fails to deliver anything substantial, and doesn't work well on any level except late night t.v. when the viewer is too tired to care. (D+)

Note - The only place you'll see Esposito's thigh is on the box. And what the hell did they go to Scotland for?? Bad weather in Vancouver? One more piece of advice. When in a shootout, don't hide behind cardboard cartons. Duh.