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The online film magazine Combustible Celluloid offers new movie reviews, DVD reviews, film reviews, actor interviews, actress interviews, director interviews, film books and all things cinema related for the thoughtful and passionate. Online for ten years! Over 3000 reviews!

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Proof of Life (2000)

Rating: 2 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Errant Husband

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy Proof of Life on DVD.

Russell Crowe stars as a hostage negotiator attempting to rescue Meg Ryan's kidnapped husband (David Morse, also in Dancer in the Dark). Though the movie is ripe with cliches, from the opening "Unrelated Incident," in which we learn all about the hero's skills, to the "leaving, soul-searching, and returning" phase in which the hero gives up his paycheck and performs his duty out of the goodness of his heart. But craftsman director Taylor Hackford (The Devil's Advocate, Dolores Claiborne) somehow keeps everything on track and manages to generate a certain amount of suspense, despite the unimaginative storytelling.

Starring: Russell Crowe, Meg Ryan, David Morse, David Caruso, Pamela Reed, Wolframio Benavides
Written by: Tony Gilroy, based on an article by William Prochnau and a book by Thomas Hargrove
Directed by: Taylor Hackford
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 135 minutes
Date: December 9, 2000