management

Management [Blu-ray]
$35.98
I agree with a previous review that this movie is in the vein of The Good Girl, in a funny and lighthearted way. Jennifer Aniston and Steve Zahn make a cute, quirky, awkward couple (although for most of the film, they're a couple according to only one of them). The movie isn't fast paced, but it's definitely entertaining enough. And if you've ever passed through Kingman, Arizona then you get what draws this couple together.

The First-Time Manager
$17.95
This is a great book for the beginners on the management roles. Most of the examples are quite simple and one can relate to those. It's very easy to read. It will be a good one to read first, before moving on to management books of greater depth.

The New Manager's Handbook: 24 Lessons for Mastering Your New Role (Mighty Managers Series)
$12.95
I wanted to brush up on some advice for managing and I ordered this book through Amazon. A quick read that I will use in the future as a resource book. Very thoughtful advice.

The Proposal (Single Disc Widescreen)
$29.99
When not handling his business in superhero cinema, Ryan Reynolds tends to roam into the comedy genre. THE PROPOSAL is his latest romantic comedy and this time he plays opposite Sandra Bullock, an actress I used to follow onscreen, but not lately. Sandra Bullock made an impression on me with Speed (Widescreen Edition) and While You Were Sleeping, and even with Demolition Man, but all those flicks are more than a few years ago and, somewhere along the way, I just stopped watching her. Here, she goes against type but manages to bring back all the elements which had originally made her so endearing.

It's about tyrannical, much-loathed book editor Margaret Tate suddenly learning that she's on the verge of being deported back to Canada. Grasping at straws, she bullies her long-suffering assistant Andrew Paxton into pretending that they're engaged, their upcoming "nuptials" the key to her remaining in New York. It's not too long before things get crazy out of hand, and Margaret finds herself flying out to Sitka, Alaska on a weekend trip with Andrew to celebrate his grandma's birthday. So cue the usual romantic stuff, with a very suspicious immigration officer closely keeping tabs on the pretend relationship.

Thing is, there's nothing new in this one. THE PROPOSAL is actually a by-the-numbers picture with a contrived premise, and so, as it often turns out, whether the film sinks or swims hinges on the compatibility and appeal of the two leads. I have friends who don't dig Reynolds, and nowadays I rarely get swayed by Bullock's charms. But I happen to think that these two actors, in this movie, click together. The mutual dislike of their characters is palpable and very enjoyable, and, honestly, there's nothing quite so exquisite as when two people who really don't like each other end up crashing into each other while both are bare-nekkid. Returning to the down side, predictable sub-plots wing its way towards you and, by gum, there's even that most cliched of cliches: a frantic, last-minute dash to the airport. I was amused, but not too startled at the revelations regarding Margaret. We all suspected, going in, that she just had to have a softer side. And to check off on the "endearing character quirk" angle, Margaret happens to harbor a hidden fondness for rap music - and specifically for Lil Jon and Rob Bass & DJ E-Z Rock. That's sweet.

By now, Ryan Reynolds has this kind of role down pat. The bemused look, the pinched expression, the deadpan delivery, he's a natural at all that stuff. Several of his insults directed at Bullock are very funny. His character also has a side story centering on his bitter estrangement from his father. Mostly, though, Reynolds serves as the framing device with which to show off Sandra Bullock's pretty good performance. I've never seen Bullock in a mean dragon lady part (it's like seeing Norman Rockwell beat up a child), but I must say she's surprisingly effective and convincing and callous as heck. It's almost a shame that this particular genre demands that she eventually demonstrate a warmer, more vulnerable side to her. I was getting a kick out of her being this icy, horrifically insensitive boss.

THE PROPOSAL will have you wallowing in despised boss revenge fantasies and just maybe, even fantasies of a near nude Sandra Bullock, who may be in her forties now but, dang, she shows off a sexy bod. Okay, some of the scenes are cringe-worthy, the two most embarassing ones probably being the bachelorette party dude stripper dance and Betty White doing some sort of uncomfortable tribal dance. But this last one actually becomes funny when Betty asks Sandra Bullock to join in, and Sandra - well, you just have to see it.

3.5 out of 5 stars for this one.