Rating: Summary: THE MOVIE IS QUITE GOOD, BUT WHY NOT SAY COLOMBIA? Review: I liked the movie quite a lot, there is quite a bit of tension, action at the end, and Russell Crowe was again amazing, Meg Ryan was O.k and David Morse was very good. And people who say it musn not be like this, or that don't know if the movie is realistic, well, it is very realistic, I live in Colombia and this is our everyday on the news, and the people who manage to return safely, tell the most awful stories of how their kidnapping was. Here in Colombia this movie was a bigger success than in U.S.A, amybe because in the States it was shadowed by the real life (Russell and Meg's affair) but here it came after that news and it was loved, no one complained about it being bias, it is not, it is very realistic, the reason I don't give it 5 stars is because in the movie they don't say Colombia but Tecala, a fake country, reviews said that it was, well it's not, the movie is based in Colombia, it has several Colombian actors who conformed the supporting cast, the towns and cities relly look like Colombian places, unlike movies like Romancing the Stone, Colombia looked like Mexico in that film, but on this one, although it wasn't shot in Colombia because of the situation here, it may as well pass as Colombia, and the story is very realistic, the ELN, not ELT like in the movie, and Las Farc here do all thoose things to people and worst, actually the film might be too soft, but some things are too crude for Hollywood, but nevertheless, this is an excellent way for people in U.S.A to see what we live through every day, just replace Tecala for Colombia, ELT for ELN and you are set for ean entertaining and educational movie.
Rating: Summary: Loved It!!! Review: With all the obvious sexual tension between Russell Crow and Meg Ryan [which made the film for me], the breath-taking scenery and the wonderful action sequences, this movie gets my vote! There's something for everyone in it and is something that anyone can enjoy. It's only a shame that the relationship between Meg and Russel was leaked out publically which may or may not have affected the outcome of the film...nonetheless- I loved the film so much. The actors were great, the colors were outstanding and even though I hated the ending it gets my vote for best movie!!! Kudos to Meg and Russel because without their characters' tensions it would have been ruined!! .... it might not have won out at the box-office but it definitely won with me.
Rating: Summary: Interesting premise, good cast, lame movie Review: A confession -- I only managed to watch the first 40 minutes of this movie, and I fast-forwarded a bit through the latter part of what I did watch. It's very unusual for me not to finish a movie -- I even sat through "Planet of the Apes" -- but I just couldn't get into this one.The main problem was a script long on exposition and short on character development. We "meet" the husband and wife character via an extended fight wherein they complain about the last 8 years of their lives. Booor-ing. David Morse's character is supposed to be devoted to the good of the (generic) natives of the (fictional) Latin American country where the story takes place. But he comes across as humorless and arrogant. It was hard to see what Meg Ryan's character saw in him. I certainly didn't mind that he got kidnapped (by generic venal terrorists), and wasn't remotely worried about him. Meg Ryan's character was a cipher -- an aimless former hippy chick, defined only by her supposed devotion to her uninteresting husband. Russell Crowe's K&R expert at least had a past worth mentioning -- but we learn very little about him! All-in-all, a disappointing experience.
Rating: Summary: Casablanca revisited Review: What a fabulous movie this was: it was set in South America and there was crime and a sort of "cop" with a heart and principles, who met the love of his life (Russell) and a good guy, idealist with flaws, the husband (David) and the loyal and lovely wife (Meg), and no height problem unlike in the original, but not content with this the cameramen tried to mke Meg look TALL and Russell to look short and David, well he is too tall!!!! This was so ,much better than the original and there were as many nationalities and just as many twists and turns. I loved the part of the mad German, and the smart alec cop done to a tee by Caruso, but I have one plea, never use that sound mixer again. I could not have watched this movie without a remote volume butoonand that was big NO NO. PS By the way what did Rob Reiner have to do with this movie? I scanned the credits for his name as he had had so much to say re Meg and smoking and the fact it should not be released. I mean does he hate Taylor Shackelford, Meg Ryan or Russell Crowe or all three. This was a great movie and it seemed that everyone worked hard to make it fail. Why was that?
Rating: Summary: Easily the worst "movie" I have ever seen Review: This "movie" is barely a movie at all. Movies have a plot, acting, and compelling characters, none of which you will find in this horrendous mess that Crowe and Ryan were either under contract to do or horribly desperate for money. There is no reason to care about any of the characters whatsoever, and I actually found myself hoping that the kidnapped husband would just get killed so the movie would end. Some characters showed up for no apparent reason and then left with a similar nonimportance. How other reviewers gave this more than a single star I will NEVER understand. Skip it.
Rating: Summary: "Missing" something Review: For its first two-thirds, Taylor Hackford's "Proof Of Life" is almost in the same class as Costa-Gravas' "Missing"- a politically-motivated kidnapping of an American by "rebels" in a war-torn Latin country rife with corrupt officials; the victim's desperate family trying everything (legal and otherwise) to bring him safely home. Meg Ryan (slightly miscast) is adequate as the concerned wife who enlists the aid of an insurance company negotiator, played by Russell Crowe. Crowe's character also happens to be an ex-commando, and that's where the film strains credibility. The final third, with its "Rambo"-like rescue mission, belongs in a whole different movie. What starts out as an intelligent and suspenseful political thriller mutates into Stallone/Shwarznegger action cliche...capped off by a shameless lift from "Casablanca" for the final scene.
Rating: Summary: A good movie for a night at home Review: Meg Ryan hires a specialist to come in and help her find a way to get her husband back after he is kidnapped by gurilla fighters in South America. Crowe, the specialist, is extremely suave, calm and collected in dealing with the ransom and Meg Ryan, in her worried state for her husband, is drawn to Crowe. This is a good movie for the man who likes action and the lady who wants a touch of romance.
Rating: Summary: Exciting and Believable Drama ... A Must See Review: I stumbled on this movie by chance so had no idea of the content both story and star-wise. From the first screen images of our hero in Chechnya I was hooked and remained on the edge of my seat for the rest of the movie. Great all around performances from top to bottom (remember the little housemaid crying as she reveals she knows the voice of the enemy negotiator?). I liked Russell Crowe's understated performance and the interplay between his character and those of his professional colleagues (nice eccentric performance by Danny Carusso). Meg Ryan's performance was excellent and a rewarding change from her usual cutesy roles. Equal caveats to David Morse and Pamela Reed. Photography and direction were first rate; editing excellent. Storyline and dialogue refused to sag into commercial soppiness, leaving the audience free from over-sentimentality and predictable romance that lesser directors might have deemed necessary for the box office. A treat of a movie.
Rating: Summary: A good story Review: I might be a bit biased being an Aussie but Russell "ROCKS" in this movie how come it gets all the good movie and all the great chicks. Great story, good production and great actors make this movie a must see.
Rating: Summary: Proof of Life Review: The story begins when an American engineer working in a South American country is kidnapped and held for ransom. His wife finds herself abandoned by his employer, and on her own trying to get him back alive. In the process, she has to reevaluate the nature of her committment to her marriage, in the face of temptation under extraordinary circumstances. What intrigues me in particular is how the relationship develops between the ransom negotiator and the victim's wife, over the course of several months. There is little to suggest that things are less than proper. The subtlties of an expression, a look, a few words, unconscious gestures and actions, altogether create a decidedly romantic tension between the two. The setting, scenery and location are exotic and beautiful. And yes, Russell Crowe is compelling. It amazes me how he can convey so much just by the way he moves, his tone of voice, facial expressions, and gestures. This one left me saying, "Whoa, what else has this guy done?"
|