We’re going to be honest. The previews of this movie made the possibility of true big screen love seem…well, unlikely is a word that comes to mind. Marrying your boss to get a green card for her and a promotion for yourself? Marrying your boss who’s one psychiatrist visit away from a diagnosis of anti-social personality disorder? Honestly, just marrying your boss at all? Suuuuuuuure! That seems like a great idea.

Color us pleasantly surprised that this movie couple proved to be far more delightful than we ever would have guessed. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds are both extremely likeable actors, and they have a great rapport on screen, which is fun to watch. After all the movies we’ve sat through where a leading man in his sixties or seventies bags a babe young enough to be his daughter or, hey, granddaughter (think Woody Allen, think Sean Connery), we cheered to see Margaret win the heart of her younger guy.

We have no doubt that Margaret and Andrew can take on the Federal government (even the INS!) and ultimately prevail. They are two very determined people. Our hesitation? We’re not sure they can overcome their own history together.

The story begins with cold-hearted, ambition-driven Margaret terrorizing the cubicle jockeys at the publishing company where she is queen bee. Most put upon of all is Andrew, who only humors her crazy demands because he has his sights set on becoming an editor himself. The balance of power shifts when it’s discovered that Margaret is (gasp!) Canadian and her visa is set to expire. To stay in the country and keep her job, she’s going to need some matrimonial assistance from Andrew.

They trot off to Alaska where Andrew’s family lives to add some believability to their sudden “romance.” It’s here, outside the circumstances of their daily lives, that they really see each other for the first time. Margaret discovers that Andrew is not some spineless peon, but an actual man who is kind, intelligent, capable and sexy. (And, hey, it doesn’t hurt that he’s rich, either!) Andrew realizes that Margaret isn’t “Satan’s mistress” so much as a beautiful woman who is lonely, more vulnerable than she wants to let on, over-compensating for being a woman in a man’s world, and capable of genuine feelings.

We totally buy that they would fall for each in the intimate circumstance of pretending to be a couple. We fell for them ourselves! But will it last? We fear not.

It’s hard for us to accept that Margaret is just misunderstood as she’s made out to be. We think some of those hard edges are for real, and they’ll resurface in the relationship. Also, we’re not so sure all is completely forgiven and forgotten on Andrew’s part. We can imagine him yelling out in the middle of a fight: Oh, yeah? Well, remember that time you made me go out in the middle of that category 3 hurricane to buy you tampons? He may be Ryan Reynolds, but he’s only human.

Still, we give the movie credit for ending on a realistic note. There’s no promise of happily ever after, just plans for a green card wedding so Margaret and Andrew can date and get to know one another better. We predict they’ll have a few good years together. Then Margaret will get her permanent resident status, and they’ll amicably go their separate ways, liking themselves and each other a whole lot better than when they began.

This may not be riding off into the sunset material, but a relationship that helps a couple grow as people…we think that deserves 3 reels.

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