Sandra Bullock looks good, doesn't she? With that perfectly taut Hollywood brow, some might say that she looks far younger than a woman of 45. But let's be honest, she doesn't look 33, so playing a part in which she has to simper next to the boyish Ryan Reynolds demands almost total suspension of disbelief from a kindly audience.
True, she is his boss. Bullock stars as Margaret Tate, a high-powered, suit-wearing publishing witch who, initially, enjoys the services of Andrew Paxton (Reynolds) as her assistant. He fetches her soy-milk cinnamon lattes, reminds her gently to call her immigration lawyer back and cancels plans to visit his family for his grandmother's 90th birthday when he is told of weekend work plans. Unhappily for Margaret, her fire breathing has to stop when she is told by her bosses that her visa has been denied and that US immigration is planning to immediately push her back over the border to Canada.
Given the title of the film, and a precedent set by Green Card, can any of you possibly guess what comes next? That's right, folks, poor old Andrew - who barely looks old enough to have graduated - is wheeled in as her fiancé. The choreographer-turned-director Anne Fletcher (ominously, of 27 Dresses fame) takes the opportunity to develop a pantomime cast from here and runs with it. First up is the dastardly immigration lawyer Mr Gilbertson (Denis O'Hare), whose threats to ruin this happy couple fall on deaf ears. To make a show of it, the pair head deep into Alaska for the aforementioned 90th birthday, which gives Fletcher the opportunity to pop Bullock in a pair of high heels and try to cajole laughs from us as she flails in the rugged, mountainous landscape. There are pine trees, lakes and eagles; you have half an eye on the lookout for a gun-toting Sarah Palin until you learn that the film was in fact shot in Rockport, Massachusetts.
Ah well, the plot is already riddled with unlikely developments. What's one more problem? Well, there are several more. Paxton's family are willing to overlook the age of their son's instantaneous new girlfriend, as well as the fact that they have only ever heard torturous things about her as his boss. Then there's a scene in which Margaret's phone is snatched by an eagle, an excruciating moment when both boss and employee run into each other naked, and a bit where Grandma Annie dons some kind of hybrid bird costume to chant around a bonfire in the woods.
Everything, of course, culminates when the big day is brought forward to the weekend at the request of both parents and grandmother. Mr Gilbertson himself watches with an experienced, cruel smile from the audience as Margaret leaves it right up until the crucial moment to confess their woebegone plot. There is more suspense in Toy Story. Of course, there follows the inevitable dawning on both Margaret and Andrew that for all their bickering, that wholesome Alaskan air has gone to their heads. Would you believe it, they've gone and fallen in love and want to genuinely get married. Oh, the deep irony of it all. "So let me see if I've got this right. You two are engaged again?" asks the indefatigable Mr Gilbertson.
On the upside, there is a touch of Lucille Ball to Bullock, who manages to covey emotions, such as surprise and sadness, despite that unmovable face. And Reynolds does deadpan well at points too, along with a youthful air of gormlessness that has followed him from his Van Wilder days. But together they generally look awkward. Most importantly, while we all know the outcome of your average Hollywood romantic comedy, for their part they're supposed to lighten our lives with some romance, preferably chucked in with a bit of comedy. And The Proposal's lack of chemistry and plodding script doesn't hold that end of the bargain at all.
smoneycoutts@thenational.ae
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Company%C2%A0profile
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
The specs
Engine: 2x201bhp AC Permanent-magnetic electric
Transmission: n/a
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 659Nm
Price estimate: Dh200,000
On sale: Q3 2022
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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If you go
The Flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Johannesburg from Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively. Economy return tickets cost from Dh2,650, including taxes.
The trip
Worldwide Motorhoming Holidays (worldwidemotorhomingholidays.co.uk) operates fly-drive motorhome holidays in eight destinations, including South Africa. Its 14-day Kruger and the Battlefields itinerary starts from Dh17,500, including campgrounds, excursions, unit hire and flights. Bobo Campers has a range of RVs for hire, including the 4-berth Discoverer 4 from Dh600 per day.
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Power: 272hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 331Nm from 5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.7L/100km
On sale: now
Price: Dh149,000
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
U19 World Cup in South Africa
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE
UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Vriitya Aravind, Deshan Chethyia, Mohammed Farazuddin, Jonathan Figy, Osama Hassan, Karthik Meiyappan, Rishabh Mukherjee, Ali Naseer, Wasi Shah, Alishan Sharafu, Sanchit Sharma, Kai Smith, Akasha Tahir, Ansh Tandon
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
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How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
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Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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