THE PROPOSITION

THE PROPOSITION Theresa Russell, Patrick Bergin (1996, A-Pix, R, priced for rental) Don't be fooled by the box art or ad campaign, which makes this period piece look like an American Western. But don't be scared off, either, because it's an above-average straight-to-video offering, owing to an intelligent script, solid acting, and handsome production. Russell plays an indomitable widow who chooses to save her farm by driving cattle to market across the Welsh countryside rather than wed a sheriff (Richard Lynch). She enlists the aid of a rough-edged drover (Bergin), the sheriff's illegitimate brother, whose intentions are not strictly honorable. Director Strathford Hamilton adroitly blends adventure with R-rated romance, while Russell and Bergin wrassle erotically in a fairly explicit albeit tasteful scene. B-

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