Stephen Holden , film critic for '' The New York Times '' , did not think the film worked well and opined that the actors did not connect . He wrote , " the film displays a gaping lack of emotional connection among the characters in a romantic triangle that feels conspicuously unromantic ... what ultimately sinks this stylish but heartless film is a flat lead performance by the eternally snippy Meg Ryan ... Ms. Ryan expresses no inner conflict , nor much of anything else beyond a mounting tension . Even when her wide blue eyes well up with tears , the pain she conveys is more the frustration of a little girl who has misplaced her doll than any deep , empathetic suffering . " Critic David Ansen gave the film a mixed review , writing , Taylor Hackford 's thriller '' Proof of Life '' leaves a lot to be desired , but it 's got its hands on a fascinating subject ... To be fair , Tony Gilroy 's screenplay keeps the romance on the back burner ... Thorne is the most compelling aspect of '' Proof of Life , '' thanks to Crowe 's quiet , hard-bitten charisma . It 's a part Bogart once would have played — the amoral tough guy who rises to the moral occasion — and Crowe gives it just the right note of gravel-voiced masculinity . But neither Crowe , Ryan nor the topical subject keeps '' Proof of Life '' from feeling recycled . For all the up-to-the-minute research , the movie still gives off the musty scent of Hollywood contrivance . Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 39 % based on 117 reviews ; the average rating is 5.3 / 10 . The consensus is : " Despite its promising premise and superstar cast , '' Proof of Life '' is just a routine thriller that does n't offer anything new . " The film was nominated for four Blockbuster Entertainment Awards ; Favorite Actor – Suspense , Favorite Actress - Suspense , Favorite Supporting Actress – Suspense and Favorite Supporting Actress – Suspense . Danny Elfman was also nominated for a Satellite Award for Best Original Score at the 5th Golden Satellite Awards , but lost out to Gladiator ( Hans Zimmer )
5th Golden Satellite Awards
5th Golden Satellite Awards
Proof of Life