In her latest movie, The Proposal, an infectious comedy, Sandra Bullock offers a tour de force rib-tickling turn
In her latest movie, The Proposal, an infectious comedy, Sandra Bullock offers a tour de force rib-tickling turn
What attracted you to The Proposal?
The writing. When I first heard it was coming up, I actually said: "No, not interested." They said, "Trust us, just read it." I did. And they were right.
Why the initial resistance?
The way that it was described as a romantic comedy. I cringe when I hear 'romantic comedy'. I don't want to be in them. I've done them. I've done them to the point where I felt I'm done with them. There's a clichu00e9 to them that just makes you roll your eyes. And I read this and, of course, it's not a romantic comedy. That's the thing. It reminded me of the great comedies that had some romance in them and work on many different levels. I didn't expect it to be this caliber of film. I didn't expect it to actually be funny and emotional. I didn't expect it to be the film that it was.
It has an almost classic Hollywood feel about it.
Yes, like The Philadelphia Story those kinds of films. We shouldn't compare ourselves to those great films, but that style of film... It's got those deep emotional undertones. It's got the verbal humor. It's got the physical humor. It's got the great settings and the landscape, which you don't usually see.u00a0
It also has a great central character, Margaret Tate.
(Laughs)... We all love a good bitch. And we all have it in us. But for Margaret, it's masking fear and insecurity. As long as you allow that in, you can play the comedy a lot better. If you were simply cruel the whole time, it wouldn't really make for a funny movie.
Did you bring things to her that weren't on the page?
Absolutely. I mean, you go to work on the day and then you play. Take the wardrobe those constrictive New York outfits she wears. You take that, put it into a rugged outdoor setting... You get me in Christian Louboutin heels, a constricted dress and a Hermes handbag, making my way down a ladder onto a dock at low tide...
What was it like working with the director?
Anne Fletcher comes from choreography. So if you don't get it, how it's written on the page, she figures out your comedic rhythm and what works best for you. She's truly extraordinary.
Is it harder doing comedy or drama?
Comedy, really. Because with drama, you have a lot of other elements helping you through the scene. Comedy, if you don't nail it, there's nothing... There's no score, there's no editing that can help you through it (laughs). If you don't find the right tone and the right rapport between yourself and your co-star, there's nothing that can help you. And when it fails, it's painful.
And drama?
In a sense, you approach them both the same way.u00a0 You do the same research, the same background story. But there's something with comedy that is hard to explain, unless you've done it yourself. Because if you fail, there really is no help. If you don't land the joke with the emotion and the physicality... If you volley it out to your co-star and it doesn't come back, you're there with egg on your face.u00a0
What was the biggest challenge for you on The Proposal?
The cold. And the damn heels (laughs). And then they go, "You're doing your first nude scene, nowu2026" Yes, my first nude scene with an 11-week-old dog, a hairdryer and a washcloth.
And it was...
Daunting. You run around with a little thing stuck to your private parts and you slap against your co-star (laughs)... I mean, I'm very happy being naked in my house, when there isn't a film crew around. In the shower, in the bath, I'm very comfortable. Well, I read it in the script. And I thought, this is hysterical. And then the second thought was, "Oh my God, how are they going to shoot this?" And then you forget about it. And then, a couple of weeks before, you start thinking... Maybe I should cut down on the butter and the carbs... Maybe I'll skip the salt... Maybe I'll skip the wine at dinner. And then you get to the day and there's a crew, a puppy, a washcloth and a hairdryer. And that's it. At the beginning of the day, Ryan and I were looking at our little stuck on codpieces that stay on for maybe two takes. And then it was just all hanging out. By hour eight, you just don't care. Ryan and I have known each other for many years, and we knew we were trying to make it as funny as possible.
Had you worked together before?
No, we've just known each other for years. We've vacationed together and have mutual friends. We also have the same work ethic and can improvise well together. But you just don't know how that's going to translate on film. So we were kind of lucky that it worked. I mean, people can get along greatu2026 Oh, we had such great chemistry.... We like each other so much. And you see it on film and go, "I don't see it."
I saw it.
But you don't know. You could fall madly in love with your co-star, you think it's translating, and you're as boring as reading the paper. I don't know what it is that makes those things work. They just either do or they don't. But I know we work, improvisationally, the same way. We have the same energy for fixing things and panic over the same things that don't work. And that is a luxury. Especially when you have to slap naked bodies together. (Laughs)...
u00a0
Which, all things considered, must be a more pleasant experience than taking an inadvertent 'swim' in freezing waters, as you do on screen... you did mention something about the 'cold' before...
I actually got hypothermia. My lungs shut down and I had the unfortunate experience to feel what it was like for your body to shut down. Your brain's going, "Ok, I'm fine. I just can't breathe, but I'm fine."
What happened?
Initially you're thinking, 'Oh, you'll be fine in water that cold.' And I even said to everyone, "Come on, let's just get in there, let's shoot it." The first time was fine. The second timeu2026 I have never experienced anything like that! I literally just went, "Oh, there goes the air from my lungs." And then I barely hear people yelling, "Get her out! Get her out! Get her out!" It was amazing. But that water was so cold. That's why the lobster live there (laughs).u00a0 It was also one of those awkward moments where you feel embarrassed that you're not able to finish. But your body is going to do what your body is going to do, and hypothermia sets in whether you like it or not. (Laughs)u2026 Now, I understand what freezing water is!
What are your hopes for The Proposal?
I want it to entertain people. I want to make people laugh. I want people to go and have a good time. You know, we're not in a time in the world right now where we should really bring people down. Our job is to entertain. That's my job. That's our job. And I hope we did a good job.
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