Proof of Life
|
List Price: Our Price: $2.50 You Save: $10.48 (81%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Canada
Movie Reviews of Proof of Life
Movie Review: Great Mix of Action and Relationships
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie was just the perfect mix of action and romance for my entertainment tastes. Meg Ryan as Alice and her engineer husband Peter Bowman, played by David Morse, have traveled the world following one engineering job after another. They are currently stationed in a South American country when a local military faction kidnaps the engineer husband. He is taken to the cold, wet mountains to live with a bunch of druggy kids with guns protecting cocaine fields. While he is miserable, suffering innumerable discomforts, facing an uncertain future, Russell Crowe as Terry plays the part of the kidnap and ransom expert who spends mucho time with Alice handling the rescue. There is a great cast of supporting actors including the unlikable head of the company played beautifully by Anthony Healed, David Caruso as a fellow kidnap and ransom expert and Pamela Reed as the obnoxious but eventually likeable sister of the victim. Even Goddfried John as the ex-legionnaire turned missionary who is a fellow kidnap victim turns in a great performance.
I particularly enjoyed this movie because Alice has 2 awesome guys in love with her: strong capable protector and intellectual idealist, both damned good-looking, good men and both devoted to her. It might offend some that the rebels are not portrayed with broader political interests, but the foreign setting, the kidnap and ransom and the bursts of action made this a movie I really enjoyed. Some people might not like this movie because it isn't quite a romance, but it isn't totally action either. Also, the movie only suggests the depth of the relationship between Alice and Peter as well as Terry's personal demons. Just a tiny bit more on each would have made this movie even better.
Movie Review: The One Bad Thing
Summary: 5 Stars
Having raved about the excellent technical detail in this movie, I suppose I should also address the one thing - though it's not a gun fact - that's "fake." In the latter parts of the film, a para-military team sets out to rescue Peter Bowman (David Morse) from a terrorist base camp. The camo jobs the actors have on their faces, for anyone who's every been in the military, are kind of laughable. Most of them have only a few streaks of camo. Now, I understand the director, and actors, feel it's important we be able to see the expressions on the actors' faces, versus having them covered with real, useful, full-coverage camo jobs - but it's still silly. The purpose of facial camo is to break up the pattern of light and dark that says "human face" to any enemy who might glimpse it. The almost-not-there camo jobs on the actors' face in these scenes don't do that. The SAW gunner (played by a real-life West Point graduate) is the only one who actually has on full camo, but even then it's a series of light and dark stripes. This "tiger stripe" camo job, although it looks cool, is something my Army drill sergeants warned us against since it actually makes the face stand out MORE in the boonies. What you really want is to put light camo in the areas of the face that are normally shadowed (eye sockets, under the nose, under the chin), and dark camo on areas that normally reflect light (forehead, cheekbones, jawbone). Basically, a good woodland camo job makes you look like a green Halloween skull, but light where you'd expect dark and vice versa.Movie Review: Ryan and Crowe Bring The Plot and Action to Life
Summary: 5 Stars
I truly think that this movie has been underated by so many people. People heard it was going to be a hot steamy flick between Crowe and Ryan, but were then dissapointed when it wasn't. The acting is superb, contrary to what many people say about Meg Ryan. I'll admit, this is not her best role ever, which I would credit to Courage Under Fire, as small of a role as it was. Ryan still does a great job. Too many people have seen Ryan in the romantic comedies and have connected her with those type of movies. Now that she does something different, everyone gets mad and says she is horrible. Wake up people, her character is not some tough girl or sweet lady to smooch on.Crowe is also very impressive. His tough guy character is revived from Gladiator and he fits the role well.
Anyone who rated this movie low needs to watch it again and realize how awesome the cinametography is and how well the plot is built all the way until the dramatic ending. Which by the way is one of the best military/war/action sequences I have ever seen. Some people need to stop complaining about a love story between Crowe and Ryan because there is none. So they kiss once and give each other sweet looks but that is so minimal in this movie that it is not important. The kiss was more of a friendly goodbye/thank you kiss than anything.
Overall, I really loved the movie and I truly believe it is extremely underated.
Ratings: 1-5 (highest/A Lot of)
Action-3 Sex-1 Plot-5
Acting-5 Cinametography-5 Script-4
Movie Review: Splendid!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have seen this movie countless times and I expect to watch it countless times more. If you have the DVd edition then you also get a detailed commentary by the director which, in my opinion, really adds to one's understanding of the movie and why it was made. It is based on the real-life kidnap experience of a westerner in Colombia. It is a fascinating look into the life of kidnap and ransom experts. This film has something for everyone - drama, suspense, just enough action to stop it becoming a war-film, and even a little romance, or the hint of it. What I really like about this movie is that there is no sex scene. I am sure that a lot of reviewers would have condemned this film for not having one, but I commend the director for not putting one in (actually there was one made for it but due to the real life relationshop between Ryan and Russal at the time, it was thought that it was in bad taste). You don't need to have a sex scene to pander to the audience and, after all, what is so wonderful about adultery anyhow??? I'm no prude. If you want sex then go buy an XXX movie, but know that it doesn't haveto be there in a main stream movie to make it an all time great!Movie Review: Intense!
Summary: 5 Stars
I just had a brief comment. This is another great Russell Crowe movie, who just seems to get better (if possible) with each new flick. Crowe has to be one of the best actors currently working, in an era when we don't seem to have the same kind of great screen actors and actresses of past eras.Rather, in recent years we seem to have artificially hyped and pumped up celluloid pseudo-greats with no real substance, and often, no real acting ability. In the midst of this it's refreshing to have at least one actor of Crowe's ability around.
Having said that, I must say I do like Meg Ryan, and she and Crowe make a great on-screen pair here, as she turns in a fine performance herself as the wife of the kidnapped engineer and dam builder.
I won't go much into the plot, as others here have already done so, except to say that the movie, once it gets going (and it gets off to a quick start) is an intense, powerful, interesting, and believeable drama from beginning to end.
All in all a fine movie. Big Steve says go see it and don't "Bogart" the popcorn.