Proof of Life
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Actor: David Caruso, David Morse, Meg Ryan, Pamela Reed, Russell CroweBrand: RYAN,MEG
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 135 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-06-19
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Reviews of Proof of Life
DVD Review: Proof of Star Power
Summary: 4 Stars
Based upon a Vanity Fair article ("Adventures In The Ransom Trade" by William Prochnau) and a man's personal account of an abduction by Colombian guerillas (Tom Hargrove), "Proof of Life" sports an exclusive cast and talented filmmakers but retained the misfortune of unfavorable media prior to its release. This $70 million escapade from director Taylor Hackford (Ray) began screening in December of 2000 after much-publicized debate on the relationship between leading lady Meg Ryan and co-star Russell Crowe. Hackford was dismayed by the predatory slant of the press, remarking that "people put a huge amount of time, effort and talent into this and it's being usurped by the tabloids. They say there's no publicity that's bad publicity, but I'm not so sure." Over 20 people reportedly left the production because of altitude sickness (filming took place in the Ecuadorian mountains) and the set was plagued by the death of stuntman William Gaffney, an automobile plunge off a cliff during a routine shot killing him instantly.
Most of the story is set in a fictionalized South American country called Tecala, Alice Bowman (Ryan) currently residing there with her industrial engineer husband Peter (Morse). Peter's job has required him to consistently relocate and Alice has grudgingly packed her bags each time, resentful of their inability to root themselves in one place. Tecala is a state known for its high rate of kidnapping and one morning as Peter braves a jungle roadway, he encounters a guerilla barricade and is taken hostage, his captors hiding him away in the misty and suffocating atmosphere of the Andes. Any hope that Alice had of peace and quiet is shattered, Peter's captors demanding thousands of dollars in ransom for his return. She is well lacking of their demands and becomes desperate for a solution, her sister-in-law Janis (Reed) her only solace. A couple of phone calls later, Terry Thorne (Crowe), a trained negotiator, is brought to the scene and the negotiation process for Peter commences. During his arduous parleys with Peter's captors, Terry's relationship with Alice becomes more than platonic and he is faced with a moral dilemma. It is at this point that the movie loses a little credibility, its histrionic excitement forfeited for the divulgence of forbidden romance.
This is the third collaboration for Hackford and screenwriter Tony Gilroy, the two having worked together previously on "The Devil's Advocate" and "Dolores Claiborne". Hackford admitted during an interview that he had filmed a more explicit love scene between Crowe and Ryan but it didn't make the final cut, stating that it was solely his decision to remove it and that "too much romance detracts from the action-adventure; I wanted the relationship between the characters to be tenuous and ambiguous ". This was a wise choice on Hackford's part because even the desperate kiss that Crowe steals from Ryan before heading out into combat is somewhat superfluous and baffling (yet it remained in the film, a small and enigmatic remnant of Hackford's missing footage).
Morse underwent the grueling task of slimming down for his scenes in the misty mountaintops, getting gaunt on a diet prepared by the doctor who thinned down Tom Hanks for "Cast Away". This guy rarely gives a bad performance (The Green Mile, Hearts In Atlantis, Dancer In The Dark, etc.) and is equally impressive here as the stonewalling Peter. Ryan has the potential to be a great dramatic actress (When A Man Loves A Woman, City of Angels) but because of her numerous roles in romantic comedies, there is the feeling that she is miscast. Ridley Scott's Greco-Roman juggernaut "Gladiator" was released over six months prior to "Proof Of Life", creating a nice buzz for Crowe and giving the film a beneficial boost in ticket sales. It certainly didn't hurt either that Crowe garnered an Academy Award nomination the year prior for the role of Jeffrey Wigand in "The Insider". It's just as well that he gives a good performance here as Terry Thorne. David Caruso makes an appearance in a small role - with what little times he gets, I believe it's the most entertaining performance I've ever seen from him.
Bottom line: If you see "Proof of Life", go for the suspenseful storytelling and remember that it's not very far removed from what happened to a real guy (Tom Hargrove). Truth is far stranger than fiction - and much more interesting.
Description of Proof of Life
When her husband is kidnapped in a small South American country, Alice Bowman turns to Terry Thorne, a professional hostage negotiator, for help.Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: R
Release Date: 8-FEB-2005
Media Type: DVD
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