At a recent dinner party that followed a group outing to The Proposal, most of the chatter focused on one of the movie’s scenes in particular. And if you’ve seen it, you probably know which one I’m referring to: the one where a sweaty Ryan Reynolds and an equally wet Sandra Bullock bump…well, ugly isn’t the word for either of them…into each other. And based on the cover of Entertainment Weekly that highlighted Reynolds this month, featuring him without a shirt is a moneymaker.

Proposals for marriage are most always heavily orchestrated affairs. Despite considerable planning and meticulous execution, something usually goes awry. But what’s a fumbled word or an impatient fiance-to-be when you have love to fall back on? Margaret (Sandra Bullock) and Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) don’t have that luxury in Anne Fletcher (27 Dresses)-directed The Proposal, and a botched path to the altar means means one must leave the country — to the liberal netherworld of Canada. Theirs is a sham proposal, for sure; but the matter isn’t without a surprising degree of emotion. Like global warming kissing the Alaskan snow, your heart may reluctantly melt a little watching the matrimonial meanderings of Bullock and Reynolds. Solid writing and a genuine, convivial dynamic between the pair turns the otherwise artificial affair into an unusually enjoyable romantic comedy.