'3BlackChicks Review...'
PROOF OF LIFE (2000) Rated R; running time 135 minutes Genre: Drama Seen at: Celebration Cinema (Lansing, Michigan) Official site: http://www.proofoflife.com/ IMDB site: http://us.imdb.com/Details?0228750 Written by: Tony Gilroy (based on an article by William Prochnau) Directed by: Taylor Hackford Cast: Meg Ryan, Russell Crowe, David Morse, David Caruso, Pamela Reed, Wolframio Benavides, Michael Kitchen, Daniel Lugo, Mario Sanchez, Pietro Sibille
Review Copyright Rose Cooper, 2000 Review URL: http://www.3blackchicks.com/bamsproof.html
You Know Your Movie's In Trouble When...the normally stoic David Caruso is the most lively person on screen.
The Story (WARNING: **spoilers contained below**): Peter Bowman (David Morse), an Engineer for a multinational oil company trying to build a well (as cover for their ultimate goal: to build an oil pipeline which just so happens to be on the same lines as a drug field), is kidnapped by the ELT, a South American Rebel Faction that is more interested in "earning" money than in political gain. After the company which sent Peter to that country fails to support Peter in his time of need, international kidnap and ransom agent Terry Thorne (Russell Crowe), Terry's friend and partner, Dino (David Caruso), and Peter's wife Alice (Meg Ryan), work closely together to try and bring Peter safely home. So closely together, in fact, that Terry starts developing Feelings for Alice.
Uh oh, I feel a big *Y A W N* coming on.
The Upshot: The thing I hate most about yellowlight-worthy flicks is that while there's not a lot *good* to point out within them, there's also nothing so irreparably and completely *bad* about them that they won't give *somebody* the idea to rant at me about why I keep Picking On their Star Du Jour. I'd druther have strong feelings about a movie, one way or another, that would allow me to vigorously defend my stance to said ranter. Ambivalence sucks.
One positive thing PROOF OF LIFE had going for it, admittedly, was one of the best character actors working today. In the limited screen time he had, David Morse as the kidnapee, far outclassed the rest of the field; his was the only character of the bunch that I gave two figs about coming out alive.
Meg Ryan's Damsel In Distress, in the person of Alice Bowman, at least had the good graces to not be the same airheaded so-and-so Ryan seemed so eager to play as a young Hollywood actress. Indeed, her Alice was reminiscent of one of Ryan's strongest characters yet, the tough-as-nails Military Chick in COURAGE UNDER FIRE; Alice even *cries* like Ryan's "Courage" character. Which is to say, Alice had a very Been There, Done That feel to her. And though Crowe must still be riding high from the success of GLADIATOR from earlier this year, he apparently decided to play it safe in a minimally-defined role that might've been much more interesting had it been more fully fleshed-out.
Of the supporters, Wolframio Benavides (as Juaco, the Hot-Headed Rebel) and Morse shared a few interesting moments as a captor and his willful captive; unfortunately, those moments weren't allowed enough room to breathe and grow into a full-fleged Defining Event for either of the actors or their characters. Of the remaining main supporters, Pamela Reed was far too screechy as Peter's older sister; and Caruso - who I so dearly loved as Detective Kelly in his infamous NYPD BLUE role - *very* quickly wore out his wildly-overacting welcome in a questionably humorous supporting part.
The direction and writing was as unremarkable as the South American scenery was beautiful; drop Stallone's "Rambo" in that jungle, maybe you'd have a more thrilling (if not Meaningful) story. The most irritating thing about "Proof" is that it took forever to get to an easily-anticipated Point that could've been more quickly achieved with well more than half of it edited out. My husband said it best when he, uncharacteristically, left the theater to get a pop refill - and wasn't very concerned about what he might miss in doing so.
The "Black Factor" [ObDisclaimer: We Are Not A Monolith]: I don't think I've had a "Latino Factor" yet. To be honest, I don't know if I'm qualified to address their Issues, especially not those concerning [insert Latin/South American country here]'s Drug Trafficking Problem. Hell, I'm not really even sure what the proper terminology used to address those who my fellow Americans once blindly grouped as "Mexicans", would be ("Hispanic"? "Latino"? Or as I've commonly heard in the vernacular lately, "Brown"?)
I'd be more than happy to Lend This Space to someone more knowledgeable of the LF than myself. While you're at it, I'd like to know if it's Just Me, or is anyone else tired of the brunt of the blame for the consequences of America's War On [Some] Drugs, being laid entirely at the feet of [insert Latin/South American country here], with no blame being assigned to the War On [Some] Drugs itself?
Bammer's Bottom Line: Sounds like a "Jeopardy" category...
[Contestant]: "I'll take 'Proof Of Life' for $200, Alex" [Alex]: "It's our first Daily Double! The answer: 'What paramedics were checking for after catatonic-looking audience members left the new movie starring Russell Crowe and Meg Ryan...'"
PROOF OF LIFE (rating: yellowlight): PROOF OF LIFE committed the unforgivable act of boring me to death.
Rose "Bams" Cooper Webchick and Editor, 3BlackChicks Review Movie Reviews With Flava! Copyright Rose Cooper, 2000 EMAIL: bams@3blackchicks.com http://www.3blackchicks.com/
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