Pressure Now available on DVD

THE PROPOSAL

This brisk thriller combines elements of buddy movies, mobster films, and detective dramas, with effective results. Debuting director Richard Gale shows a splendid flair for creating dramatic tension; time and again, he puts humanitarian and undercover detective Terry (Nick Moran) in perilous situations that seem to have no immediate happy resolutions, only to ratchet up the pressure with more tension in ensuing scenes.

The ancillary characters are vividly drawn by an engaging cast; the henchmen of Simon Bacig (Stephen Lang) are colorful without being necessarily stereotypical, and Lang, whose ruthless, egomaniacal gangster could easily have crossed into caricature, only nibbles the scenery around the edges instead of devouring it completely.

Jennifer Esposito, seen previously in I Know What You Did Last Summer and Summer of Sam, is more than up to assaying a role that calls for her to be frustratingly high maintenance and inordinately self-sufficient at the same time. But Moran, who nearly stole the show as Eddie in Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, is totally convincing as Terry, who seems on the verge of cracking under the strain of his case from the opening scene. He truly seems haunted by the bloody crimes he's had to witness while in the undercover employ of Bacig, and he seems helpless to do anything about it. Here's hoping this unheralded, direct-to-video offering finds an audience that appreciates a taut detective thriller. --Buzz McClain

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THE PROPOSAL

A pair of undercover cops (Nick Moran and Jennifer Esposito) pose as husband and wife in order to get information at a dinner party held by crime boss Bacig. When Bacig decides to get to know the policewoman better, the three get involved in a deadly love triangle, with little time to figure out who is deceiving and who is being deceived. A tricky crime thriller with several original touches.

The Proposal

Their job just got personal. - Review by Megan Johnson

Terry Martin (Nick Moran) is deep undercover working for crime boss Simon Bacig (Stephen Lang). When Simon invites Terry to his birthday party he demands that Terry bring the wife that he is always using as an excuse. Now Terry must contact his boss and produce a wife before the party or his cover will be blown and his life over.

When Terry teams up with rookie cops Susan Reese (Jennifer Esposito), the whole case suddenly gets turned upside down after she manages to weasel her way into the case permanently. Soon after the birthday party, Susan begins to seduce her partner, while at the same time becomes the object of the crime bosses affection, the lines between reality and the job get blurry fast. As the case comes to a climax, Terry and Susan must figure out whom they can really trust, their lives depend on it.

Presented in anamorphic widescreen format with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, The Proposal looks really good for a movie that was released straight to video. Colors are bright and true with good shadow definition, creating a crisp, clear image. The image isn’t perfect, but very good for this release.

The audio is Dolby Digital Surround Sound. The dialog in this thriller is always clear and easy-to-understand, while the soundtrack does a nice job of transitioning from romance to suspense to danger.

To add a few more surprises to this disc, they have also added a few good special features. Included are a behind-the-scenes featurette, an audio commentary with Director Richard Gale and the standard theatrical trailer.

Overall this is a rather surprising movie. Since it went directly to video I didn’t have very high expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised. Jennifer Esposito is wonderful as the seductive Susan. I was a fan of hers when she was on "Spin City" and I think we will see her on the big screen more in the future. Lang and Moran also do good jobs with their characters. They play off of each other well.

The real surprise of the movie is how well written the story is. You truly do not know whom you can and cannot trust until the end credits begin to roll. I recommend that you give this one a try. I think you will also be pleasantly surprised at how good it is.

(VideoHound's DVD Guide)

by Mike Mayo

THE PROPOSAL

Terry Martin (Nick Moran of Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels fame, whose British accent is remarkably changed into that of a gravel-voiced American for this role) is an undercover cop hot on the trail of mob boss Simon Bacig (played by Stephen Lang). When he needs a wife for a social occasion hosted by his target, he is forced to recruit a policewoman for the deception (Esposito) and then finds his cover ultimately blown when his new "wife" reveals an agenda of her own. Independent director Richard Gale provides a marvelous audio commentary, which reveals the tricks of low-budget filmmaking. DVD rating: 3 bones (out of 4)

THE PROPOSAL

I just watched the best thriller I have seen in a long while, and then, as usual, went to IMDB to see what others thought of it. I was amazed to discover that this wonderful film had no US release in theaters, and no reviews. The one comment at IMDB is right on the money. Only 14 have voted so far, but have it at 7.6/10. My vote should slightly raise the score. I am at a loss to explain why a film that is more entertaining than at least two of last years Best Picture nominees could not secure a US release. It is possible that it was made as a pilot for a TV series, especially given that it stars Jennifer Esposito.

Terry Martin (Nick Moran) is deep undercover, trying to put away bad guy Simon Bacig (played to perfection by Stephen Lang). When he suddenly needs to produce his fictional wife for a party, he is assigned a rookie officer, Esposito, who immediately entangles herself in the case and becomes his full-time partner. As a cop that has survived under cover by trusting nobody, and by being anally careful, Nick is not thrilled to suddenly have a partner, but is immediately and strongly sexually attracted to her. She seems to feel the same attraction. That is the set-up, and, since I am calling this a must rent, I won't spoil any of the surprises.

The film manages a complex plot, with plenty of plot twists, and has not one word of voice-over, and very few purely expository scenes. Not only that, but all of the plot twists are believable, and justified from the beginning of the film. Art design is better than required for a film of this genre, and the photography was clear, with no distracting effects, and a few artistic angles. It was the tight plot and the great performances, however, that made this film.

A commentary track from director Richard Gale is the disc’s main highlight. It’s pretty insightful about the nuts and bolts of shooting a low-budget film of this sort. Gale speaks candidly and quickly, describing in rapid-fire detail the setting up of each shot, the effects, who did what, any technical gaffes, as well as any anecdotes that pop into his head along the way.

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THE PROPOSAL (Directed by Richard Gale) review by Mark Kitto

Cockney chancer Nick Moran has crossed the Atlantic, and has the Niuw Yoick accent to prove it. Unfortunately, all that tongue-twisting effort is overshadowed in The Proposal by a stunning Jennifer Esposito. Her scene-stealing is helped by her 'is she or isn't she' liaison with the arch baddy of the plot, played with perfect restraint by Stephen Lang. Esposito and Moran are undercover cops trying to catch Lang with his guard down. Not since Tim Roth psyched himself up to join the Reservoir Dogs has an undercover cop character made you quite so nervous. Moran keeps you on the edge of your seat right though the twists and turns until the final and utterly surprising ending. Thanks to the sharp direction and enchanting Esposito, this is one formulaic cops and robbers with a difference.