The Lifeless Proof of Life
 Mar 3rd, 2001
Advantages:
David Caruso and David Morse are good, and the premise is good
Disadvantages:
Zero chemistry between Crowe and Ryan . Dull and unentertaining
Recommendable:
No
Detailed rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Story
Characters / Performances
Special Effects
How does it compare to similar films?
more
  Alex1226
About me:
I powerlift, I write poetry, I watch films. Oh and Im a weirdo!
Member since:18.01.2001
Reviews:24
Members who trust:7
Review rated by 11 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
Set in the volatile political climate of Ecuador, ‘Proof of Life’ is basically a film about an engineer, Peter Bowman (David Morse, The Rock, The Negotiator) who is kidnapped by a ruthless gang of guerillas. Enter former SAS man, Terry Thorne (Russell Crowe), a specialist in K&R (kidnap and ransom) to negotiate the terms of his release, whilst comforting and gaining the trust of Bowman’s wife Alice (Meg Ryan). The ransom demands are extreme, and as Bowman and his company are uninsured it comes down to the family and Alice to provide the money, except they do not have the requisite amount, being able to accrue a mere $650 000. This is a long and rambling film that fails on almost every level. Considering that Ryan and Crowe were having a sizzling and passionate romance, it is incredible that none of this is transferred to screen. Their chemistry is simply none existent, and although the film moves throughout at a horribly boorish pace, their inevitable romance seems contrived, hurried and without any foundation whatsoever. Prolonged eye contact does not suddenly equate to earth shattering, deep, romantic love. Crowe is an undoubted talent with tremendous and markedly different performances in films like ‘Gladiator’, ‘The Insider’ and ‘LA Confidential’. There is no doubt that action films suit his acting style, and Crowe can pull off a good performance even when he is given very little to play with. ‘Proof of Life’ is supposed to demonstrate his more sensitive side, whilst maintaining the rugged charm and hardness that has made him successful, but this is without doubt his worst film to date.
Meg Ryan, seems to have built her career out of one film (‘When Harry Met Sally’) and more importantly one scene (the faked orgasm scene), and she is frankly awful in this film. She seems to be typecast, forever playing an emotional and tearful woman, and in ‘Proof of Life’ she is no different. Such repeated sentimentality in her characters make her performances much less effective than they might be in isolation, so when the tears come in this film, they are much less potent or moving than they ought to be. ‘Proof of Life’ is completely lifeless, and the only scene that saves it is towards the end where the film gets some ‘Predator’ like action scenes, and we realise why we have come to watch Crowe, viz. to see him fire his gun. The star of the film is Thorne’s close friend, and fellow K&R specialist, Dino (David Caruso, ‘NYPD Blue’), but he is in too few scenes to really save the film.
The premise of the film is a good one, as kidnapping has gone up massively throughout the world in the last ten years, especially in England, but there is so little that can be said that is positive about the film, although the ever reliable David Morse plays his hostage role particularly well. The usually sound Pamela Reed (‘Kindergarten Cop’), plays Bowman’s older sister, but her character could easily have been left out of the film altogether. In one scene she leaves for the airport to collect the ransom money and we never see or hear from her again. Director Taylor Hackford (‘Devil’s Advocate’) can do a lot better than this, although I am sure that the film will be a box-office success simply because Crowe is one of Hollywood’s biggest actors, despite the fact that it is dull and unentertaining.
Overall 2/10
Compare Prices
sorted by Price
Read more on this product
Products you might be interested in
 |
Desperate Measures (DVD)
(+) Acting, Action and plot
(-) none
1 review
Buy Now
|
 |
Trainspotting (DVD)
Production Year: 1995 - Drama - Director: Danny Boyle - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Kevin McKidd, Robert Carlyle, Kelly MacDonald, Ewen Bremner, Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller
31 reviews
Buy now for only £ 4.98
|
 |
The Sixth Sense (DVD)
Production Year: 1999 - Drama, Thriller - Director: M. Night Shyamalan - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Olivia Williams, Glenn Fitzgerald, Mischa Barton, Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette
231 reviews
Buy now for only £ 3.28
|
|
|
![Proof Of Life [DVD] [2001]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78542101.jpg)
by (9%):
05.03.2001 15:29
Once again a fine review. However, I would have liked to have had a little more information about the actual events of the film. It is a consequence of your high standard of review that my comments concerntrate on such minor issues, but I found the quoting of the figure which could be ammassed to be somewhat meaningless without the detailed of the demanded sum.
04.03.2001 04:05
read it, rated it. i will try to stop being suspicious! hope you enjoy Chocolat, cos if you don't I am going to look pretty silly aren't I?!
04.03.2001 00:32
i have chosen not to rate your op. i was curious as to why you had only rated salman's op on this film as an FH, even though clearly the op deserved more than that (but thats your choice, not contesting that). so i was then interested to see that you had written an op on the same film.....seems suspicious to me, but then again i may just have a suspicious mind.