At first I didn’t think the chemistry was there between the leading two actors. But, sometimes you can be surprised. I never pictured Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in a film together, it worked very well I thought. Anne Fletcher directed this, she originally started out as a choreographer on a number of productions, and I think she has found her calling as a director. Pete Chiarelli was responsible for the screenplay. He has done other films such as Eagle Eye (2008) starring Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan.
Basically the story is about an office assistant named Andrew Paxton played by Ryan Reynolds. He gets pressured into marrying Margaret Tate played by Sandra Bullock. The reason for this is because she is Canadian and will be deported out of the country – due to complications from her Visa status. She proposes a deal with him to pretend they are in love, and for them to get married. Things between them have always been very intense. They venture off to Andrews home in Alaska. There she meets his family and discovers much more about him than she ever knew. Once she arrives you see the interweaving of the family dynamics as things come together in an oddly entertaining way.
I liked the casting also of Mary Steenburgen as Grace Paxton and her husband Joe Paxton played by Craig T. Nelson, I thought they were very believable as a couple. However, veteran actress Betty White stole the movie with her scenes. She was great as usual, and has become a Hollywood icon of sorts. Another stand out was Cuban actor Oscar Nuñez who plays Ramone; he was hilarious in this role. Denis O’Hare was quite convincing as Mr. Gilbertson the INS agent from the immigration department. I always appreciate seeing Swedish Malin Akerman in anything, she plays a character named Gertrude.
More of the cast includes: Aasif Mandvi as Bob Spaulding, Michael Nouri as Chairman Bergen, Michael Mosley as Chuck, Dale Place as Jim McKittrick, Alicia Hunt as Coffee Barista, Alexis Garcia as the Immigration Clerk, and Kortney Adams as the Colden Books Receptionist.
I highly recommend seeing this film; it was a good film for the most part. It is something you can enjoy together with friends. Ryan and Sandra both strip down in one scene which was shocking so, you may find this appealing as well.
