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PROOF OF LIFE Send This Review to a Friend
It is rather an odd choice to make the kidnap victim who must be rescued unappealing. Such is the case in "Proof of Life," an ultimately unsatisfying action film set in a fictional Latin American country where kidnapping executives is a way of life for rebels using the extorted money to fight for their cause. Peter Bowman, played by David Morse, an engineer supervising the building of a dam, is shown behaving nastily toward his wife Alice, portrayed by Meg Ryan. When he is spirited away, one can hardly work up much sympathy for him.
The sympathy in the film directed by Taylor Hackford from a script by Tony Gilroy lies with the hot-shot rescue expert who enters the case. Terry Thorne, whose business involves such exploits, is played by Russell Crowe. He is the likable fellow, and it comes as no surprise that before long he and the victim's wife are making eyes at each other. Ryan isn't particularly effective or interesting here, but neither is the domestic side of the drama. As for the rebels, they are condescendingly depicted as a crude, worthless lot fighting among themselves as well as against the army trying to wipe them out.
The film comes alive only in the action sequences, which Hackford films very well indeed. The planning and execution of the job grabs attention and with Crowe at the helm, it is doubly strong. Crowe, who underplays his role, has movie charisma, no doubt about it, as evidenced in his other recent work. But without a story that has its own level of excitement, the action sort of hangs there. It is fun to watch, but the personal aspect isn’t compelling enough to make it all click into place. A Warner Bros. release.
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