Movie Review (Theatrical vs. Rental): Marriage the right way. . .

It's the battle of the married couples. What's the best route to go when it comes to marital bliss? An exotic retreat mixed with couples counseling or blackmailing your assistant into marrying you so you can stay in the country? Let's find out:

Couples Retreat (2009)
Synopsis: a couple drags their married friends to a resort for a discount on couples therapy
Grade: C

Want to know the most interesting thing about this movie? Ralphie from A Christmas Story directed it. Other than that this movie is just. . .okay. There are some good, laugh-out-loud moments (the yoga instructor got some laughs out of me) and it has some touching moments but it still lacked something. I wasn't "wowed" by it. I felt like it could have given me more but I don't know what that "more" was. But. . .it did give me the desire to go on a resort vacation!

The Proposal (2009)
Synopsis: a Canadian wants to stay in the USA and she's willing to marry her assistant who she doesn't get along with (or does she. . .?)
Grade: B

I rented this movie expecting some mindless fun with some "Sandra Bullock romantic comedy schtick" but I was pleasantly surprised. I really got into this film. It's got a predtictable storyline - Canadian hot shot is about to get deported but she doesn't want to lose her job so she says she's going to marry her assistant and she digs herself more and more into a hole as she jets off to Alaska to meet his family and then she falls in love with the family and the guy but when the lie is revealed she leaves but the guy realizes he fell in love with her so he goes after her and they live happily ever after. Don't get mad if I spoiled the movie because we all know that's how it goes. There was something more to this movie and I'll thank Ryan Reynolds for that. He's very charming and connected well with his fellow actors. I found myself more intrigued by his relationship with his parents than the relationship with Sandra Bullock. For a rom-com this is definitely worth a watch.