One of my all time favorites.

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

South American rebels kidnap Peter Bowman (David Morse), a US engineer who works for an oil company. The company calls in negotiator Terry Thorne (Russell Crowe). When the oil company abandons them, Bowman's wife Alice (Meg Ryan) begs Terry to stay.First we must address the Russell Crowe - Meg Ryan real life romance. It definitely muddied the movie's reception. But it's eerie how the movie mirrors real life. David Morse plays the husband a little bit too unlikeable. It made the budding romance of the leads uncomfortably too real in both life and movie. That part of the movie is just too creepy. I do like Russell Crowe negotiating with the rebels. The action at the end is worthwhile and the whole story flows very well.

Tony Gilroy (screenwriter of Michael Clayton and Bourne Identity) based the script for this film on a magazine article in Vanity Fair (Adventures in the Ransom Trade) about the kidnapping and ransom industry in Latin America as well as a first-hand account of an international businessman who had been kidnapped for nearly a year by a paramilitary group (Tom Hargrove's book "Long March to Freedom").The article and first-hand account which the film's script is based on had a tremendous amount of potential for a film that was both enlightening and action-packed.As it stands, the film still delivers but it isn't a particularly memorable film. The film splits its time between an imprisoned David Morse (playing a more movie-friendly version of Hargrove) on one end and Meg Ryan, David Caruso and Russell Crowe on the other trying to save him from Columbian guerrillas. The scenes of Morse don't fare as well because there was less opportunity for dialogue between him and his captors so it was hard to get a sense of his inner monologue and struggle.On paper, the delicate balance of professional admiration and lust in the relationship between Terry (Russell Crowe) and Alice (Meg Ryan) was captured much better in the script than on screen. It's ironic because the two were romantically off the set, but I don't think Meg Ryan conveyed that delicate balance as well. Actingwise, the film still had some great moments. Russell Crowe is great as always and there are a few moments in the film where he blows you away.Also, if you have an interest in the consequences of the unsteady political regimes in Latin America (like me), this would especially be the film for you.It's also worth mentioning that I've read a copy of the script so that affected my judgment of the film

I am a big fan of Taylor Hackfords overall work. But I don't think this matches some of his other movies (unfortunately). One of my favorites of all time (actually my number one movie) is "Blood in Blood out" aka as Bound by Honor, which makes it sound less like a horror movie. Of course it is a drama, but I guess people might be confused by the title. This movie right here has a great cast (Russell Crowe starring), but lacks the emotion I got of some of his earlier work.It's unfortunate, but while not a bad movie, I don't think this matches what he has done before and the question could be if he lost his touch. I haven't seen any of his more recent films since then, but the success of Ray alone might be a disprove of that theory. So if you're a fan of his, do not be too harsh on this movie if you can. If you don't care about directors in general or this one in particular, do not expect too much from the movie

Taylor Hackford's Proof of Life is a hopelessly uneven, dull- as-dishwater, slap-dash chunk of topical hokum to begin with. I don't know which character I cared about the least, except a pre-CSI David Caruso, showing some sort of talent for acting(?). Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe are stolidly unpleasant. One can only hope they were more interesting for and to each other when they had their fling in real life. On screen, they're wholly unappetizing. Once again, the benefit of watching this gunk on the Sunday afternoon movie is that you don't have to pay for it. You'd be better off puttering about in your garage.