Proof of Life

Starring:Meg Ryan, Russell Crowe, David Morse, Pamela Reed, David Caruso, Anthony Heald, Stanley Anderson, Gottfried John, Alun Armstrong, Michael Kitchen, Margo Martindale, Mario Ernesto SÃ¡nchez, Pietro Sibille, Vicky HernÃ¡ndez, Norma MartÃnez, Diego Trujillo, AristÃ³teles Picho, Sarahi EcheverrÃa, Carlos Blanchard, RaÃºl RodrÃguez (II)
Director: Taylor Hackford
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
When someone in Proof of Life says "Don't leave me hanging," you can bet they're going to be left hanging. That's what happens when Alice Bowman (Meg Ryan) learns that her husband Peter (David Morse) has been kidnapped by rebels in the (fictional) Latin American country of Tecala. He's building a corporate-funded dam there, and that makes him a fine target for kidnap by the rebels, who barter with the lives of well-insured executives. Enter Terry Thorne (Russell Crowe), former soldier-turned-"K&R" (kidnap and ransom) negotiator for a global firm that collects a commission for rescued hostages. With no guarantee of payment, Thorne takes the job out of moral obligation (and a yearning for would-be widow Alice).

Amazon.com

When someone in Proof of Life says "Don't leave me hanging," you can bet they're going to be left hanging. That's what happens when Alice Bowman (Meg Ryan) learns that her husband Peter (David Morse) has been kidnapped by rebels in the (fictional) Latin American country of Tecala. He's building a corporate-funded dam there, and that makes him a fine target for kidnap by the rebels, who barter with the lives of well-insured executives. Enter Terry Thorne (Russell Crowe), former soldier-turned-"K&R" (kidnap and ransom) negotiator for a global firm that collects a commission for rescued hostages. With no guarantee of payment, Thorne takes the job out of moral obligation (and a yearning for would-be widow Alice).

There's little room for delicacy in Tony Gilroy's screenplay, adapted from an article by William Prochnau and the book Long Road to Freedom by kidnapping survivor Thomas Hargrove. A hint of romance between Crowe and Ryan (who enjoyed plenty of it off-screen) adds tension as the story shifts back and forth to Morse's captivity, but it also threatens to cast Alice in an unsympathetic light. Avoiding that pitfall, director Taylor Hackford crafts the plot as a latter-day Casablanca that unfolds on a grander canvas (at stunning locations in Ecuador) while favoring an exciting rescue-mission climax over the tragedy of an ill-timed affair. It might have worked better as a straightforward macho action flick (with David Caruso doing lively work as Crowe's gung-ho K&R cohort), but Proof of Life effectively conveys the two-sided torment of a hostage crisis, while Morse holds it all together as the character to root for. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Their lives are on the line. Their hearts are out on a limb. The wife of a kidnap victim and the hostage negotiator working with her navigate a brutal world of terrorism that values money over life - and find their tasks complicated by the growing awareness that they're attracted to each other.

Customer Reviews:

Proof that editors add value.......2007-06-04

If there was ever an argument for a good editor, this movie is it. The key elements of a great story are there. The characters are there. The lush visuals and outstanding photography are there. In fact, I find myself using the Chapter Select option more on this movie than any other in a collection of 400+ to jump to the action sequences, which are outstanding, or just to watch the sweeping photography of the cityscape and slums of latin america, fading into the jungles and mountains over which the final credits play.

What the movie needed more than anything was a hard-handed edit to chop out the extraneous garbage about Peter and Alice's backstory. We really didn't need to know (or care) about their marital conflict or any of the backstory about Africa or their lost child. These are not integral to the core plot: guerillas kidnap Peter, and Alice needs to learn a lot about the kidnap and ransom business and raise a substantial sum of money in a very short period of time. She also needs to learn who she can trust and how to get things done in the local culture. Meanwhile, Peter is learning how to avoid his captors' ire, and trying to cope with his fear and isolation as he is led farther and farther away from the civilization he has always known into the depths of the mountains and jungles. These are interesting issues and could have easily carried the film by themselves without all of the domestic filler, which proves to be a huge distraction.

If such a director's cut could be created, it would make this movie a five-star movie and I'd shell out the cash on the release date without a second thought. Unfortunately, due to the stigma associated with the release and lack of commercial success, that seems highly unlikely. The movie also cries out for a sequal with Caruso and Crowe's characters carrying out further K&R negotiations and rescues, but, again, that possibility seems remote.

Action, Ideas, and Doing the Right Thing.......2007-03-18

Terry Thorne (Russel Crowe), a kidnap and ransom negotiator for an insurance company, is sent to the country of Tecala in South America to negotiate the release of engineer Peter Bowman (David Morse). The insurance is canceled, as well as the negotiation, but Peter's wife Alice (Meg Ryan) asks Terry to help and they both have to cope with their growing attraction as they work together.

Taylor Hackford's film is doubly courageous and unique:

First, it addresses the idea of private rescue, both business and personal, in an age when most people look to the state for protection from criminals. Proof of Life not only illustrates the business aspect of private rescue (through an insurance company), but the idea that personal action of rescue can come from the the heart. Some reviewers try to include the state as a player by mentioning that the kidnapers are antigovernment and that Thorne once worked for a government.

Second, the movie illustrates doing the right thing (though perhaps after stepping over the line depending on how the viewer interprets one scene).

This is rated R and the foul language and profanity are very bad. The language issue makes it hard to share the movie with others. I considered dropping a star, but because of the above two points did not.

Action and ideas in a very good movie.

Proof of my best movies.......2005-12-26

Indeed this movie may seem like a common action-drama-love story but not really watch it attentively and you'll get what i mean. It gives you the message of professional and moral responsibility over a situation that is confusing whether to abandon your job or fulfill it. In this matter russell is divided with his affection towards his client's wife and the duty to save him. Great sequencing of events every part is juicy. the rescue in the end is classic special forces operations. the saddest moment was when meg drives away with her rescued husband and russell cant take off his eyes from the vehicle. Great movie indeed!

No Proof Required, This Movie's Got Life!.......2005-10-24

I like Russell Crowe and David Morse so when they are together in a movie of course I have to buy it. I probably would have given this five stars if I had reviewed it last year but I've watched it like twelve times so the absolute wonderfulness has worn off a bit. Definitely a fun movie to watch.

A very under-rated film!.......2005-08-16

I hate when a film fails in the box office due to off screen antics versus actually sucking. It still baffles me that 'Dukes of Hazzard' can overtake 'Cinderella Man' in the box office, all because Russell Crowe has a temper. WHO CARES!!! Cinderella Man was and is a far better movie. Now this brings me to 'Proof of Life' which failed in the box office mostly due to the offscreen affair between Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe. Now rumers circulated that it was Russell Crowe who ended the marriage of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan, although Ryan claims that their marriage was already on shakey grounds. Again, WHO CARES!!! This movie is still a great movie, a great plot and some equally impressive acting. WHile not Crowes best performance he still puts his heart and soul into Terry, a H&R negotiator (Kidnap and Ransom)...anyways...the story is like this. Alice (Ryan) and Peter have a rocky marriage. They are at ends with each other because Peter is to involved in his work that he neglects his wife. he's never around and when he is he's always preoccupied with getting his dam built. That is all until he is kidnapped and held ransom by a group of terrorists in South America. That is where Terry comes into play. He is sent to help negotiate Peters safe return. There are a few plot twists and it ends up that Terry is doing this mission seperate from his company (kinda probono). The movie realy revolves around the emotions of the charactors. You know, I feel it's unfair to feel that Meg Ryans charactor is unsympatetic because of the assumed affair between Alice and Terry. As the beginning of the film helped us see, her husband didn't pay any attention to her, and that is one of the main reasons that women leave their husbands in the first place, not because they don't love their husbands but because they don't feel their husbands love them and find that love in the eyes of a strager who gives them attention. Like Terry did, just by asking the name of her dead daughter, like she says "no ones ever asked me that before". I thought that this movie was very well done, and is worth a watch even if you aren't pleased with the off screen lives of the actors, it doesn't change the fact that they deliver above par on screen. The only, and I mean only, reason that I did not give this movie 5 stars is the fact that it is all to common to rate a movie R for no apparent reason. This movie has very little violence and NO sex (although a sex scene between Crowe and Ryan would have been welcome) and the only reason for an R rating is the unnessisary F-Word use...if only these words were ommited then my children could watch this great film!

Average customer rating:

Eminem pulls suprising peformace
he looked like a guy who could surely do with some sleep.
Eminem gives us an entertaining masterpiece!
trivial pursuit
Eminem

8 Mile (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Eminem , Kim Basinger , Mekhi Phifer , Brittany Murphy , and Evan Jones
Director: Curtis Hanson
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JLQE
Release Date: 2003-03-18

Amazon.com

Rap star Eminem makes a strong movie debut in 8 Mile, an urban drama that makes a fairly standard plot fly through its gritty attention to detail. Jimmy Smith (Eminem), nicknamed B Rabbit, can't pull himself together to take the next step with his career--or with his life. Angry about his alcoholic mother (Kim Basinger) and worried about his little sister, Rabbit lets out his feelings with twisting, clever raps admired by his friends, who keep pushing him to enter a weekly rap face-off. But Rabbit resists--until he meets a girl (Brittany Murphy) who might offer him support and a little hope that his life could get better. Under the smart and ambitious direction of Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential, Wonder Boys) and ably supported by the excellent cast and the burnt-out environment of Detroit slums, Eminem reveals a surprising vulnerability that makes 8 Mile vivid and compelling. --Bret Fetzer

Product Description

The setting is Detroit in 1995. The city is divided by 8 Mile, a road that splits the in half along racial lines. A young white rapper summons strength within himself to cross over these arbitrary boundaries to fulfill his dream of success in hip hop.

System Requirements:
Starring: Eminem, Kim Basinger, Brittany Murphy, Mekhi Phifer, Omar Benson Miller, Eugene Byrd, Taryn Manning, Xzibit, Evan Jones, De'Angelo Wilson, Anthony Mackie, Abdul Salaam el Razzac, Michael Shannon, Strike, Mike Bell, Proof, Larry Hudson, Allen Adams, Mary Hannigan, and Kyla Womack.
Directed By: Curtis Hanson Runing Time: 111 Min., Color.
This film is presented in "Widescreen" format.
Copyright 2003 Universal.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Eminem pulls suprising peformace.......2007-05-09

B-rabbit is a struggling rapper desperate to make it to the big time. He takes a job at a steel plant so he can save up money for studio time. He fights off gang members and has the help of his friend future. It is loosely based on Eminem's life.

Eminem is quite the rap star today. He has sold millions of copies of cds
that are excellent hip hip masterpieces. He has taken the world by storm and shown that White people can rap. But, he stretches himself and his persona into this movie and the movie itself is surprisingly simple and easy to watch. It doesn't seem like a biography movie because the character's names aren't the same as the real person's name. Probably, Eminem didn't want the movie to be like a "Eminem can act" vehicle for him. He had already shown his rapping skills and enforced them through out the movie, but he does pull off a good performance as B-rabbit.

Curtis Hanson, who I find to be a okay director, seemingly could've been out of place in the hip hop culture but his direction works well with the atmosphere and location of the movie as the film as the film moves along at a fast pace set by his direction. He gets the performances out of the characters that were needed. He doesn't oversell the characters or oversap them so that they become these cheesy characters. You feel for the characters after you are done watching the movie. Curtis Hanson defines the character by the way he is portrayed on screen. We see his actions and we ulitametely root for him in the end as the credits roll and we hear lose yourself by Eminem. The movie then either sinks in or just leaves your mind and body as fast as it entered. it is one of those movies where you have to appreciate the hip hop culture and understand it to watch the movie, or otherwise you would feel incredibly lost in the mist of the movie and you will leave scratching your head and wondering what you have just watched. A solid movie.

he looked like a guy who could surely do with some sleep........2006-10-25

This movie is really not as bad as i percieved a typical rap hip hop stereo typical movie,i must admit that this movie had a reasonable and predictable story line it's like i heard it all before! but i must say that eminem can act and kim bassinger was really great in this movie, i dont know but to me all the white folks look like they had lots of sleepless nights, maybe it's just me? it kinda had white trash feel to it, the mood of the movie kinda had a hopeless i want to commit suicide aura, (trivial) but none the less it was entertaining i say it's definitely worth a watch cast you own opinions laterz folks.

Eminem gives us an entertaining masterpiece!.......2006-09-24

There are many aspects to 8 Mile that I loved! There were no stupid plot twists. The relationships are believable! Eminem plays Jimmy "Rabbit" Smith who has a hidden talent in rap & his friends contuniously incourage him to pursue a rap career. It's hard for Jimmy at first cause he is white & it's hard for him to find someone to be nice to him in that business. It is a cruel world at times & 8 Mile captures that quite well! Brittany Murphy is quite sexy in this role & the best part, unlike Jessica Simpson, she can actually act & she makes her performance more believeable than it could be! Now, 8 Mile might not be everyone's cup of tea cause it is a drama, there is lots yelling & it is a very dark movie. But for me, that's what it makes interesting! I'm not a fan corny movies & this movie is far from that. Eminem is one fine actor & I question why he didn't do more movies because this is one of the most entertaining movies I've seen in a while! Rappers in general, I find, tend to be better actors then pop stars/actresses just because the movies they do tend to be darker without the cheesy plot twists & 8 Mile is definitely worth your time!

trivial pursuit.......2006-09-06

go read my comments on "hustle & flow"; substitute name "eminem" for "terrance howard". tra-la-la-la-la ...

Eminem.......2006-08-28

A bit of a padded feel that was only natural given the simple story that had to be stretched to two hours. The part that felt most real to me came early. I attended a black university in a ghetto of Tampa, but then I bicycled home to the Busch Gardens neighborhood. Kinda like wading in the shallow end of the pool at will while Eminem was in the deep end. That's one thing I got from the movie.

"Sweet Home Alabama," as sent up by Eminem and Future, has to be one of the funniest and most clever things I've ever seen in a movie. I cracked up and annoyed the sleeping cat on my lap.

Chinese viewers in China might not realize Detroit's supposed to look ugly in this film. Casting Kim Basinger was a stroke of genius, since the audience's view of the actress is about as low as Eminem's opinion of his mother.

The later excitement felt very contrived, like maybe I was watching a movie. The inevitable battle at the end was a thing of beauty to rap fans everywhere, even this old redneck in China. Too bad it only lasted 5 minutes, but DVDs allow you to skip back as often as desired.

Oh, and just to beat you over the head with the obvious, Eminem got out of the ghetto with his words. No gats, no hos, no drugz, and he can't even play sports. Not bad, eh? I love this movie.

Average customer rating:

Eminem pulls suprising peformace
he looked like a guy who could surely do with some sleep.
Eminem gives us an entertaining masterpiece!
trivial pursuit
Eminem

8 Mile (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Eminem , Kim Basinger , Mekhi Phifer , Brittany Murphy , and Evan Jones
Director: Curtis Hanson
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Customer Reviews:

Eminem pulls suprising peformace.......2007-05-09

he looked like a guy who could surely do with some sleep........2006-10-25

Eminem gives us an entertaining masterpiece!.......2006-09-24

trivial pursuit.......2006-09-06

go read my comments on "hustle & flow"; substitute name "eminem" for "terrance howard". tra-la-la-la-la ...

Eminem.......2006-08-28

8 Mile (Full Screen Edition with Censored Bonus Features)

Average customer rating:

Eminem pulls suprising peformace
he looked like a guy who could surely do with some sleep.
Eminem gives us an entertaining masterpiece!
trivial pursuit
Eminem

8 Mile (Full Screen Edition with Censored Bonus Features)
Starring: Eminem , Kim Basinger , Mekhi Phifer , Brittany Murphy , and Evan Jones
Director: Curtis Hanson
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Get Rich Or Die Tryin' (Widescreen Edition)
8 Mile
Training Day
American Wedding - Unrated (Widescreen Collector's Edition)
The Eminem Show

ASIN: B00008GKEY
Release Date: 2003-03-18

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Eminem pulls suprising peformace.......2007-05-09

he looked like a guy who could surely do with some sleep........2006-10-25

Eminem gives us an entertaining masterpiece!.......2006-09-24

trivial pursuit.......2006-09-06

go read my comments on "hustle & flow"; substitute name "eminem" for "terrance howard". tra-la-la-la-la ...

Eminem.......2006-08-28

8 Mile (Widescreen Edition with Censored Bonus Features)

Average customer rating:

Eminem pulls suprising peformace
he looked like a guy who could surely do with some sleep.
Eminem gives us an entertaining masterpiece!
trivial pursuit
Eminem

8 Mile (Widescreen Edition with Censored Bonus Features)
Starring: Eminem , Kim Basinger , Mekhi Phifer , Brittany Murphy , and Evan Jones
Director: Curtis Hanson
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Get Rich Or Die Tryin' (Widescreen Edition)
8 Mile
Training Day
American Wedding - Unrated (Widescreen Collector's Edition)
The Eminem Show

ASIN: B00008GKEX
Release Date: 2003-03-18

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Eminem pulls suprising peformace.......2007-05-09

he looked like a guy who could surely do with some sleep........2006-10-25

Eminem gives us an entertaining masterpiece!.......2006-09-24

trivial pursuit.......2006-09-06

go read my comments on "hustle & flow"; substitute name "eminem" for "terrance howard". tra-la-la-la-la ...

Eminem.......2006-08-28

Average customer rating:

8 Mile (UMD Mini For PSP)
Starring: Kim Basinger , Paul Bates , Eugene Byrd , Michael J. Shannon , and Brittany Murphy
Director: Curtis Hanson
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: UMD for PSP

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Product Features:

Eminem wins by a knockout! raves Rolling Stone, as the Grammy Award-winning phenomenon makes his feature film debut in this gripping story about the boundaries that hold us back - and the courage that can set us free. For Jimmy Smith, Jr. (Eminem), life is a daily fight just to keep hope alive. Feeding his dreams in Detroit s vibrant music scene, Jimmy wages an extraordinary personal struggle

ASIN: B000B8VCSU
Release Date: 2005-11-15

Description

"Eminem wins by a knockout!" raves Rolling Stone, as the Grammy Award-winning phenomenon makes his feature film debut in this gripping story about the boundaries that hold us back - and the courage that can set us free. For Jimmy Smith, Jr. (Eminem), life is a daily fight just to keep hope alive. Feeding his dreams in Detroit's vibrant music scene, Jimmy wages an extraordinary personal struggle to find his own voice - and earn a place in a world where rhymes rule, legends are born and every moment… is another chance. From Academy Award winner Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential) and Oscar-winning producer Brian Grazer (A Beautiful Mind), 8 Mile is the triumphant film Time Magazine hails as "Powerful!" and Entertainment Weekly applauds as "Electrifying and Mesmerizing!"

Charlie Rose with Marc Racicot; Evan Thomas & Margaret Carlson; Taylor Hackford (December 8, 2000)

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Charlie Rose with Marc Racicot; Evan Thomas & Margaret Carlson; Taylor Hackford (December 8, 2000)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose, Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Description

Bush adviser Governor Marc Racicot of Montana discusses the Florida supreme court's decision to grant Vice President Al Gore's request for a manual recount of about 14,000 disputed ballots in the presidential election against George W. Bush, as well as the unexpected order that all under votes be also reexamined. Then, Evan Thomas of Newsweek magazine and Margaret Carlson of Time magazine on the same topic. Finally, a conversation with director Taylor Hackford about his new film Proof of Life, starring Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe, about the wife of a kidnapped engineer and the hostage negotiator who falls in love with her while trying to save her husband.

Average customer rating:

Proof that editors add value
Action, Ideas, and Doing the Right Thing
Proof of my best movies
No Proof Required, This Movie's Got Life!
A very under-rated film!

Proof of Life [Region 2]
Starring: Meg Ryan , Russell Crowe , David Morse , Pamela Reed , and David Caruso
Director: Taylor Hackford
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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