Harockerce What a beautiful movie!
Seraherrera The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity
Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.
Jemima It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.
Miguel Cruz All of the warning signs are there from frame one: an opening sequence that intercuts between shots of the movie and the credits on a black screen, mobsters fresh out of movie mobster school, and unnecessary cross dissolves from one scene to the next. And then of course there are the fellow police officers who yell at one another most of the time, whether it be the captain onishing the hero for taking too much time on the case or the hero and his new partner who don't see eye to eye. I figured at the very least if I stuck around, I would be treated to some gratuitous nudity courtesy of the beautiful Jennifer Esposito. Unfortunately that didn't happen, yet I found myself being absorbed by the developing relationship between her character and the undercover cop played by Nick Moran. There are some nice moments that elevate the film above its direct-to-video trappings. A scene where Esposito places a banana to her ear as if it were a phone has such a genuineness and spontaneity that it doesn't come off as a cheap attempt at humor but as an actual moment involving real people. The two leads deserve a lot of credit for making this movie what it is. Nick Moran has a certain star quality, a charisma that holds the viewer with him. He gives everything he has in this performance, particularly midway through the film when his psyche is tortured after having been forced to assassinate an enemy of the mobster he's trying to bring down. It's almost as if he didn't get the memo letting him know that this was direct-to-video garbage and that he really need not try so hard. Fortunately for the film and the viewer he does.
bworas "The Proposal" turned out to be a very pleasant surprise not simply for what it was, but what it wasn't. Amazingly, there are no cliches in this relatively low budget suspence/drama work. Most notable is the camerawork, with not a single pedestrian sequence of shots. Subtly original, these camera angles serve to nicely parallel the storyline which is unpredictable in both its direction and its mood. The audience, as a result, must give its full attention throughout this film or risk losing its bearings. Those who watch this film closely will be rewarded not only with a stimulating storyline, but the opportunity to experience some superbly interesting and well developed charactors as well. For those who appreciate the nuances of filmmaking, this is a must see.
dwpollar 1st watched 8/3/2002 - 3 out of 10(Dir-Richard Gale): Haphazardly-thrown together good cop/bad cop/undercover agent thriller that seems to change from one second to the next as far as what direction it wants to go. The main stars are ok in their roles, but their roles are so confusing I'm sure it was difficult for them to get a grasp on who their character was from one minute to the next so I don't really blame them. I blame the director and screen-writer because of the very choppy way this movie seems to have been put together. They never really seem to know what they want to do and focus on(the action, the sex, the complex plot - they needed to pick one and they didn't). The movie is about an undercover cop which then becomes about his partner, then about the bad guy, then the FBI, etc. I really think I need to be done here. Goodbye, enough said. Rent something else if you want to watch a good movie.
supamatt This film takes a familiar storyline and gives it a few interesting twists. I think that it is the characters and the script that make this movie as good as it is.The story is about an undercover detective (Moran) who leads a paranoid existence, constantly vigilant against being found out for who he really is. In order to keep his cover intact, he reluctantly accepts a new partner (Esposito) who has no undercover training and who may eventually put him in jeopardy.The Proposition takes you into the personal life of a detective who has been under for several months and the lengths he goes through to establish his identity as well as watch his own back.The film's antagonist, Simon Bacig (Lang) is great. He is a villain's villiain who plays dangerous, vain, and eccentric, all without going over the top.Great direction and script give this movie dimension and depth that allow you to get in touch with the characters and keep you hooked as you await the final outcome (which I guarantee, you won't be able to guess).