It's the same old Bullock

Sandra Bullock with co-star Ryan Reynolds, doing what she does best. Photo / Supplied

After enduring a slew of mediocre romantic comedies in recent years, it's a welcome sight to have Sandra Bullock back on screen doing what she does best in The Proposal. But as far as proposals go, it wasn't easy getting her to say yes.

"I stopped doing romantic comedies because I couldn't stand them anymore. They weren't funny, so the word comedy shouldn't be in them. They certainly weren't romantic, and they had nothing to say," says Bullock.

Directed by Anne Fletcher (Step Up, 27 Dresses), the movie is entertaining, just not in a laugh-a-minute way. However, Bullock and her co-star, the ubiquitous Ryan Reynolds, (Definitely Maybe, Adventureland, Wolverine) have genuine chemistry. The story itself is as original as it can be given this take on the girl-meets-boy-loses-boy-gets-him-back genre.

Although she's been more successful at the box office in comedic fare such as Miss Congeniality or Two Weeks Notice, in the past few years she's been drawn to darker material such as Premonition and Infamous. Or the The Lakehouse, which wasn't too favourable with audiences.

Nevertheless, Bullock was emphatic about leaving her rom-com days behind her. "I didn't even want to read the script. I said, 'That's not where I am right now.' Because the RC word was attached to it, I had no desire. Then I eventually read it and it didn't feel like a romantic comedy to me, so I said, 'If you stop calling it a rom-com then I'll be a little more open to it.' Then it came down to the director because I thought, 'Who can do this and make it not only not stupid, but actually raise the bar?' Then I met Anne Fletcher. I am so in love with Anne Fletcher, I can't take it!" she gushes, speaking almost without a breath. "And as for Ryan, well, I've known him for years, so with that combination attached, it became impossible for me to say no."

The Proposal marks the first time Bullock has gone anywhere near nudity in her career. For a woman to jump into that particular deep end at almost 45 years of age proves that this former cheerleader has some balls. "I knew we'd get a big laugh if Ryan and I did the scene fully nude. I thought, if I'm ever going to do it, this is the perfect time - do it for a joke. We wanted it to be something you've never quite seen before. We warned the crew that day, 'Don't eat your lunch! It might get ugly,"' she laughs. "And I pleaded with them - please don't let this wind up on YouTube! Please!"

The Proposal was shot mainly in Massachusetts posing for Sitka, Alaska, for a modest US$40 million. What remains evident while watching Bullock, a veteran in this genre whether she likes it or not, is how many actresses try and emulate her physicality, mannerisms, and screwball quality.