Proof of Life is a good example of how NOT to make a movie.
Alice (Meg Ryan) and Peter (David Morse) are married and living in a fictional South American country called Tecala. Peter gets kidnapped. Terry (Russell Crowe) is a kidnap and ransom negotiator whose job it is to get Peter released.
It is possible to make a good movie about a woman whose husband has been kidnapped and the relationship she has with the man who is negotiating to get her husband released. It is possible to make a good movie about a man who has been kidnapped and the ordeal he undergoes while living with terrorists. The point is, you pick one or the other. Proof of Life tries to have it both ways, and it fails. There is no way one movie can do justice to both storylines. The action in Proof of Life keeps jumping back and forth between the two competing storylines, and it is very annoying. The movie has no structure and no focus.
The other huge problem I have with this movie is the relationship between Alice and Terry. The movie falls all over itself trying to convince us that Alice and Terry are falling in love, but I didn't believe it for a moment. Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe have absolutely no chemistry with each other. You would never suspect these people had an affair in real life.
When Alice offers Peter's sister Janice (Pamela Reed) a glass of wine and Janice says she doesn't drink, this gives Alice and Terry an excuse to exchange a `meaningful' look. When Alice and Terry take Janice to the airport, after Janice leaves, Alice and Terry stand and stare at each other. When Terry is on the radio talking to the kidnappers, he sees Alice in another room. They stop what they are doing and look at each other. The movie wants us to believe all this gazing is a sign of romantic attraction, but it just looks like Alice and Terry are staring at each other for no apparent reason.
There is a scene in which Terry's friend Dino (David Caruso) spends some time with Alice and Terry. Alice drinks out of Terry's glass. We see a close-up of Dino reacting to this. Alice and Terry light candles. Dino comments on this. In this scene the movie is hitting us over the head telling us to find tremendous significance in Alice and Terry's innocent behavior. So what if Alice drinks out of Terry's glass and they light candles? That doesn't mean they're falling in love!
When Dino asks Terry if he is in love with Alice, the question makes no sense because all he has to go on is the behavior described above. When Terry kisses Alice, it comes out of nowhere.
I think Meg Ryan is miscast in this movie. I just never found her performance convincing. Alice needs to wear a bra, and her hair is always a mess. Alice never actually smokes her cigarettes but merely waves them around and gestures with them.
Russell Crowe looks good and gives a good performance.
Alice (Meg Ryan) and Peter (David Morse) are married and living in a fictional South American country called Tecala. Peter gets kidnapped. Terry (Russell Crowe) is a kidnap and ransom negotiator whose job it is to get Peter released.
It is possible to make a good movie about a woman whose husband has been kidnapped and the relationship she has with the man who is negotiating to get her husband released. It is possible to make a good movie about a man who has been kidnapped and the ordeal he undergoes while living with terrorists. The point is, you pick one or the other. Proof of Life tries to have it both ways, and it fails. There is no way one movie can do justice to both storylines. The action in Proof of Life keeps jumping back and forth between the two competing storylines, and it is very annoying. The movie has no structure and no focus.
The other huge problem I have with this movie is the relationship between Alice and Terry. The movie falls all over itself trying to convince us that Alice and Terry are falling in love, but I didn't believe it for a moment. Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe have absolutely no chemistry with each other. You would never suspect these people had an affair in real life.
When Alice offers Peter's sister Janice (Pamela Reed) a glass of wine and Janice says she doesn't drink, this gives Alice and Terry an excuse to exchange a `meaningful' look. When Alice and Terry take Janice to the airport, after Janice leaves, Alice and Terry stand and stare at each other. When Terry is on the radio talking to the kidnappers, he sees Alice in another room. They stop what they are doing and look at each other. The movie wants us to believe all this gazing is a sign of romantic attraction, but it just looks like Alice and Terry are staring at each other for no apparent reason.
There is a scene in which Terry's friend Dino (David Caruso) spends some time with Alice and Terry. Alice drinks out of Terry's glass. We see a close-up of Dino reacting to this. Alice and Terry light candles. Dino comments on this. In this scene the movie is hitting us over the head telling us to find tremendous significance in Alice and Terry's innocent behavior. So what if Alice drinks out of Terry's glass and they light candles? That doesn't mean they're falling in love!
When Dino asks Terry if he is in love with Alice, the question makes no sense because all he has to go on is the behavior described above. When Terry kisses Alice, it comes out of nowhere.
I think Meg Ryan is miscast in this movie. I just never found her performance convincing. Alice needs to wear a bra, and her hair is always a mess. Alice never actually smokes her cigarettes but merely waves them around and gestures with them.
Russell Crowe looks good and gives a good performance.