The Proposal appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.35:1 on this Blu-Ray Disc. This was a terrific visual presentation.
From start to finish, sharpness looked nearly immaculate. Only the slightest hint of softness affected wide shots, and those examples occurred too infrequently to cause problems. Instead, the film looked concise and well-defined. No issues with jagged edges or moiré effects occurred, and edge enhancement was absent. I also failed to detect any source flaws.
In terms of colors, the movie featured a natural palette that favored a slight golden tone. Across the board, the hues looked positive. They showed nice clarity and breadth and came out well. Blacks were dark and deep, while shadows appeared clear and smooth. I thought the movie consistently looked great.
I thought that the DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack of Proposal seemed fine but it didn’t excel because of a lack of ambition. Like most comedies, the movie featured a limited soundfield that strongly favored the forward channels. It showed nice stereo spread to the music as well as some general ambience from the sides.
Panning was decent, and the surrounds usually kicked in basic reinforcement. A few scenes opened up better, though, like at a club; that sequence boasted lively music. However, most of the movie stayed with limited imaging.
Audio quality appeared good. Speech was natural and distinct, with no issues related to edginess or intelligibility. Effects sounded clean and accurate, with good fidelity and no signs of distortion. Music was perfectly fine, as the score and songs showed positive dimensionality. This track was good enough for a “B-“ but didn’t particularly impress.
When I compared this Blu-ray to the DVD version, I found them to provide similar audio. Yeah, the lossless DTS track sounded a little smoother and more robust than the DVD’s Dolby Digital mix, but the soundscape was too restrained for that to make much of a difference.
On the other hand, the Blu-ray looked a whole lot better than the DVD. The latter offered very nice visuals given the format’s restrictions, but it didn’t compare to the precision and depth found on the Blu-ray. While I felt pleased by the DVD, I was dazzled by the Blu-ray.
When we move to the set’s extras, we open with an audio commentary from director Anne Fletcher and writer Peter Chiarelli. Both sit together for this running, screen-specific discussion of cast and performances, characters and story, sets and locations, cinematography and effects, script changes, costumes, and a few other elements.
Overall, this is an informative chat. The participants are a little grating as speaking personalities – they think they’re funnier than they are – but they deliver a reasonable amount of good material. I don’t think this is a delightful piece, but it offers enough facts to make it worth a listen.
We also get two Deleted Scenes and an Alternate Ending. The first category includes “Phone Message” (0:50), “Walk and Talk” (1:24) and “Andrew and Gertrude” (4:04). As for the “Alternate Ending”, it runs six minutes, 33 seconds. “Message” adds a little unnecessary exposition, while “Walk” expands on Andrew’s character. It’s not particularly strong, but it’s decent. “Gertrude” expands on the past relationship between our lead and the local girl; it drags and doesn’t give us anything we need.
The “Ending” features broad comedy that takes place on a plane. It's a long distraction and wouldn’t have fit into the final flick well at all; the existing ending isn’t great, but this one’s too silly this late in the game.
Note that the first two deleted scenes and the alternate ending also appear on the DVD release. However, “Andrew and Gertrude” is exclusive to the Blu-ray.
We can view all of the segments with or without commentary from Fletcher and Chiarelli. They tell us a little about the sequences and let us know why they got the boot. Their remarks are somewhat lackluster but informative enough.
Set Antics: Outtakes and Other Absurdities from The Proposal lasts six minutes, 32 seconds. Despite the unusual title, this is your standard collection of bloopers and silliness. Like the movie itself, “Antics” is pretty forgettable.
A few ads open the disc. We get clips for Old Dogs and Everybody’s Fine. These also appear under Sneak Peeks along with promos for Scrubs S8, Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings, 10 Things I Hate About You, Lost S5 and Blu-ray Disc. No trailer for The Proposal shows up here.
Finally, the set provides a Digital Copy of the film. With this, you can slap the movie on your computer or portable viewing gadget. Yippee!
Why did The Proposal become a major hit? I have no idea. While not an unpleasant experience, it lacks anything to make it rise above its romantic comedy roots. The Blu-ray offers very good picture, decent audio and a few interesting supplements. This is by the numbers mediocrity.
To rate this film visit the Deluxe Edition review of THE PROPOSAL
