La proposta

"The Proposal" turned out to be a very pleasant surprise not simply for what it was, but what it wasn't. Amazingly, there are no cliches in this relatively low budget suspence/drama work. Most notable is the camerawork, with not a single pedestrian sequence of shots. Subtly original, these camera angles serve to nicely parallel the storyline which is unpredictable in both its direction and its mood. The audience, as a result, must give its full attention throughout this film or risk losing its bearings. Those who watch this film closely will be rewarded not only with a stimulating storyline, but the opportunity to experience some superbly interesting and well developed charactors as well. For those who appreciate the nuances of filmmaking, this is a must see.

Nick Moran is a paranoid undercover cop, with Jennifer Esposito as his fake wife, brought into the investigation of a dangerous crime boss so he doesn't blow his cover. The two play off each other, at first bickering incessantly, until eventually a romantic attraction develops. All of this happens while they are attempting to tape incriminating evidence on gangster Stephen Lang. The acting by Moran, Esposito, and especially Lang, is good, and the twisty script has a few surprises. There are also some welcome moments of humor in the film. The only problem is , we have a movie without an acceptable ending. The finale is rushed, with unrealistic gun play, and tries for too many twists that just don't work. "The Proposal" is entertaining, if you can look beyond the flawed conclusion. - MERK

"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.

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 movie is about Terry Martin (Nick Moran), a neurotic undercover cop who

finds himself in a sticky predicament. Martin is investigating Simon Bascig

(Steven Lange), a very charming, intelligent, and mildly psychotic underworld figure. To prevent himself from blowing his cover, Martin claims to have a high maintenance wife that keeps him from socializing after work. This ruse works for a while, but Bascig presses Terry to bring his wife to a social gathering. The problem: Martin has no wife, real or undercover. Enter Susan Reese (Jennifer Esposito), a cop with no undercover experience, but a lot of ambition, smarts, and beauty. Reese accompanies Terry to Bascig's party and Bascig falls for

her. Much to Martin's chagrin, Reese becomes a part of the investigation. From here, the movie unfolds into a first-rate thriller wrought with intrigue as we see...

This moving is great! The story is fresh and original, striking a nice balance between character development and action. Great acting by Esposito, Lange

and Moran. I especially love Lange's performance: the right amount of bravado and psychotic. The cinematography is crisp and does a nice job fueling the

mood of the story. The director, Richard Gale, does an excellent job bringing the story to life, which is especially impressive given that the movie was made under the smallest of budgets and shot over just a few weeks. By the way, all this information, and a whole lot more, is found in the director's well-done

commentary. Gale gives us insight into all the behind the scenes tricks as well as his reasoning for scenes. This part of the DVD is a must watch, especially for directors working under similar circumstances.