Plot: What’s it about?
Much has been said about this film and much more about the lives of Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe. As with Hollywood and our obsession with these actors’ private lives, we all know what was going on thanks to the soulless media, it may have even affected this movie’s gross. At least, that’s what director Taylor Hackford thinks. But this isn’t a social commentary on how the media exploits Hollywood, and it certainly isn’t about the gross of a movie. What Proof of Life does have is a strong storyline that is relative to what is really happening in the world today. Ever since the decline of the cold war, the “K & R” better-known as Kidnapping and Ransom business, has boomed. And in a nutshell, that’s what this film is all about. No longer can we threaten each other (countries, that is) with nuclear strikes and such, now the big business is to kidnap a powered individual and collect the money in return. It’s simple, and a major income source for several radical groups throughout the world. Tony Gilroy wrote the script and also served as the film’s executive producer, has again teamed with Taylor Hackford. Hackford may be one of those Hollywood director’s that no one’s real familiar with, but his resume is certainly impressive (An Officer and a Gentleman, Devil’s Advocate and La Bamba to name a few). So we know that Meg Ryan dumped Dennis Quaid and was seeing Russell Crowe during this movie, but who cares…was it any good and is it worth checking out?
Terry Thorne (Russell Crowe) works for an international organization whose sole purpose is to retrieve kidnapped victims for their clients. It’s not an easy job, but one that is in demand and one that needs to be done. When dealing with a kidnapped victim, most of the time they are insured, but it’s not as easy as agreeing on a price and then meeting them at a designated spot. There is a lot of tact and thought (on both sides) that goes into working out a deal. Terry is good at his job, though. It’s right after he nearly escapes with his life (sort of a “James Bond” of the K & R industry) that his next client is kidnapped. Peter Bowman (David Morse) is an engineer who works for QUAD, an oil company. Peter isn’t an executive and doesn’t have a lot of money. What he does have is ambition, and all of his years of moving around the world is finally starting to take it’s toll on him and his wife, Alice (Meg Ryan). Peter’s current task is to build a dam. The dam has nothing to do with a faceless oil company that will buy the land upon completion, but Peter knows what will happen. Still, he works day in and out believing that lie. This dam will cause quite an uproar among the local illegal drug trade, so it’s then that Peter is kidnapped. It doesn’t help matters that he is wearing a “Rice” baseball hat, a red shirt and driving a convertible, but nonetheless, he is taken prisoner and held for ransom.
Things seem to be going as well as can be expected, Terry shows up the very next morning and is on the case, only to leave as soon as he finds out that Peter isn’t insured by his company (no money to negotiate with). So we see Terry as the heartless corporate who only rescues people because it’s his job. But he comes back (or else there wouldn’t be movie, eh) and works with Alice and her sister (Pamela Reed) to help bring Peter back alive. If you can get past the talk of the movie, it’s really not that bad. I found it exciting and something that I really haven’t seen before. It’s most closest competitor, most likely “Ransom”, I feel pales by comparison. More likely than not, it’s the talk about this movie that kept it from being seen. Maybe this film will find new life on DVD. Look for David Caruso who we don’t see that much anymore, but Hackford keeps putting him in his films. All in all, a very entertaining, if not long, action movie.
Video: How does it look?
Proof of Life, like so many other movies coming out on DVD these days, looks great. I feel we’re at a point where the home theater can replicate movies so they look and sound as good or better than they did when at the movie theater. While not a perfect transfer, Proof of Life does spot a nearly flawless 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer. The greens of the jungle really tend to bring out the sharpness and clarity of the film, as contrasted by the actors, it gives a 3-D effect that is really appealing. One thing that grabbed me was a hint or two of some pixelation during some indoor scenes and some minor edge enhancement during some of the outdoor scenes. Overall, it’s nothing that should detract you from the film, but as far as transfers go, this is about as it should be.
Audio: How does it sound?
A Dolby Digital 5.1 track in English and French will keep you in the movie. Though I have to say that I was a bit disappointed with the track’s surround sounds. Yes, they’re used, but only in the ending scenes and very sparingly in between. Helicopters, of which there are a few, always seem to bring out the rear speakers, but for the most part, this is a movie that makes use of the front three channels and sub. Again, it’s average to above average, as some films would kill to sound this good, but as compared to what I thought it would sound like, I was a bit let down. Dialogue has no problems, though a majority of the movie uses subtitles and accents hide what is a “normal” speaking voice. On the whole, a good mix, but I was thinking and hoping for a bit better track.
Supplements: What are the extras?
With all the social scenery surrounding this movie, I was very excited to listen to the commentary. Taylor Hackford has made no secret about the Ryan/Crowe affair affecting the movie, and Hackford is very talkative in his commentary. Now I won’t ruin the surprise as to whether or not he addresses this issue, but he does make some comments about working with Crowe. He says he’s difficult to work with and questions judgment and such. Hackford doesn’t seem to have a problem with it, as he would prefer to work with someone like Crowe as opposed to someone who just says “Yes, yes, yes…” all the time; but still he praises Crowe for his work in this film. Hackford is very talkative throughout the entire film (and it’s a long film) and gives much insight to the films origin and making. It’s another great commentary track by Hackford who has laid down quite a few already! In addition to the commentary, there is a behind the scenes look at the making of the film. Though labeled as a “documentary”, I’m classifying it as a featurette, as it’s only about 8 minutes in length. A trailer, presented in anamorphic widescreen, and some cast and crew bios are included as well. All in all, it’s a good-sounding and good-looking disc with enough extras to keep you wanting more. Give Proof of Life a chance, it’s not all that bad…
