Let's be realistic.

Good start, but then it gets ruined

Did you people see the same film I saw?

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

I just finished watching this film, for possibly the ninth time. Each and every time it entertains. Hollywood seems to have forgotten how to make action films like this one. A real story. Real characters and a story that is plausible. Imagine that? In this day and age, or cardboard characters, and cartoons that attempt to come to life, it is so refreshing. One of the last great films by Taylor Hackford, and a Gladiator type performance from Russell Crowe. Even David Caruso was good, though a little over the top.Crowe stars as a desensitized yet sympathetic kidnap-and-rescue specialist ("KNR" in the trade jargon) dispatched to an unnamed Central American country to negotiate for the return of an American hydroelectric engineer (David Morse). The man has been abducted by drug-running rebels looking to score a big ransom from his oil conglomerate employer. The country is very obviously Colombia. The ELT is stand in for the FARC. Meg Ryan plays Morse's distraught wife who grows to trust this brusque KNR man just as the oil company tries to weasel out of its responsibility, dismissing Crowe's high-rent expert and bringing in a crooked, inexperienced local yokel instead. The oil company execs are portrayed for exactly who they are. Weasels, and morally bankrupt, ethically challenged megalomaniacs. The government stooges are portrayed for exactly who they are. Men who care nothing for their people. It is all about politics, and as always, the people come last.But for the first time in his life (apparently) Crowe's conscience -- and Ryan's tenacity -- gets the better of him and he decides to secure Morse's return with or without company backing. Thus begins a lengthy game of who-will-blink-first negotiation that tries Ryan's nerves despite assurances that the threats, disquieting prisoner photos and outrageous demands are standard bargaining procedure. This begins to get a bit tiresome, but I went along for the ride. It may be somewhat genuine. Who knows?Deftly weaved into this home front story is the parallel plot which finds an increasingly scruffy Morse marched to a bemired hideout deep in the mountainous jungle for six inhumane months as a prisoner. David Morse is his usual self, with great acting, and as always, a tremendous presence. Inspired by a 1998 Vanity Fair article about real KNR operatives, "Proof" portrays an authentic sense of the danger inherent in this part of the world. The fear and anxiety of a kidnap victim's family comes through distinctly, as does the power of the kind of people who stare down kidnappers for a living.Crowe does a good job coloring in the mettle of his generically strong and silent type. Hackford's direction consistently rises above any script shortcomings and makes this film so watchable. In the wrong hands, "Proof" could have become a movie of the week or a B-grade action loser. While Hackford does stick to the Hollywood straight and narrow, he never allows the movie to become trite.This is an really great action film.

Proof of Life (2000): Dir: Taylor Hackford / Cast: Russell Crowe, Meg Ryan, David Morse, Pamela Reed, David Caruso: Misguided drama about the need for evidence for Meg Ryan's husband has been taken hostage by guerillas in South America. Russell Crowe plays a hostage negotiator and the film plays best when it details the operation. Unfortunately the marketing tool regards the real life affair between the two, which is marketing at its lowest thus giving the film an extremely low appeal. Insightful directing by Taylor Hackford who previously made a much more appealing and compelling film called Dolores Claiborne. This film hardly comes close to that film's haunting themes although certainly it had the potential. The ending rises above the standard action clichés but doesn't save the film. While Crowe steals the film with his skill and knowledge, Ryan is basically there to hint sexual innuendo. This greatly hinders the film, and their real life relationship doesn't exactly help the film either. Thankfully Crowe takes charge in an exciting climax that pays off better than anything else in the film. David Morse does well as her husband although with all the hinted innuendo I was beginning to wish that they nabbed Ryan instead. Unfortunate failure due to its means of using Ryan as a tool for manipulation when in reality she was basically playing the part of a tool. Score: 5 / 10

Russell Crowe would of course come to be better known elsewhere (filmicly) in this year, but what of his other release in 2000? Proof of Life is a blender, a picture that is in part thriller, part romance, part drama and part observation on a very real life problem - that of kidnapping for ransom. So many genres to tackle means that invariably Taylor Hackford's film feels over stuffed, pushing the running time to two hours and fifteen minutes, it is this that hurts it. A shame because if trimmed of the pointless filler and drawn out sequences then there is a very efficient (ok, maybe routine is a better word here) and well acted piece on show. The drama and tension (sexual and perilous threat) is all building towards the action packed finale, which, while well mounted, doesn't seem an adequate pay off for the number of extended chatty scenes we have had to tolerate to get there. Nice tip of the hat to a classic at the end, though. 6/10

I am a big fan of Taylor Hackfords overall work. But I don't think this matches some of his other movies (unfortunately). One of my favorites of all time (actually my number one movie) is "Blood in Blood out" aka as Bound by Honor, which makes it sound less like a horror movie. Of course it is a drama, but I guess people might be confused by the title. This movie right here has a great cast (Russell Crowe starring), but lacks the emotion I got of some of his earlier work.It's unfortunate, but while not a bad movie, I don't think this matches what he has done before and the question could be if he lost his touch. I haven't seen any of his more recent films since then, but the success of Ray alone might be a disprove of that theory. So if you're a fan of his, do not be too harsh on this movie if you can. If you don't care about directors in general or this one in particular, do not expect too much from the movie