The Lorax **

Director: Kyle Balda, Chris Renaud

The movies do no justice to Dr. Seuss
They always tend to overproduce

When adapting the doctor's works onscreen
Their way to go is big, loud...not clean.

The Lorax is of course no exception
Remove the magic, add unnecessary tension

What once was a tale of forests and preservation
Has now become a gaudy demonstration

The voicework is astounding, the movie unworthy
The characters are charming, yet dull the story

Not even the gorgeous animation
Commands the grown up audience's attention

Children will undoubtedly be entertained
Grown ups will leave the movie feeling drained

Seuss' wisdom was meant for all ages
Let us not forget the timelessness of his pages

But Hollywood has yet to learn its lesson
That "less is more" regardless of the person

The Proposal **1/2

Director: Anne Fletcher
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds
Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Denis O'Hare
Malin Akerman, Betty White

"The Proposal" is by the numbers, full of clichés, stereotypes and a plot so obvious you need just see the poster to know how it will end.
With that said, it's also rather fun to watch and on occasion even gets to be funny!
Sandra Bullock plays Margaret Tate, a book editor from hell who inspires her employees to act like stock characters from "The Devil Wears Prada" did whenever Meryl was onscreen.
Her assistant Andrew (Reynolds) bears with all her demands even if it means he's stopped living a life of his own.
When Margaret faces deportation-she's Canadian-she blackmails Andrew into marriage and to satisfy the migratory officer (O'Hare) she spends a weekend at Andrew's family home in Alaska.
The tough girl's heart melts with the townsfolk, Andrew realizes she's only evil because she has issues (and a great body for her age) and sparks obviously rise between them.
Reynolds and Bullock have amazing chemistry, his naive face and her devilish brow raises work some sort of summer movie magic and before long the film's chaotic, forced situations elicit some laughter.
It's of course Betty White as Andrew's grandma who owns the movie giving a loony, adorable performance, her type of timeless comedy makes you wonder if Bullock will be as effective 40 years from now...