Captive Hearts (NOT "Proof of Life" in made-for-tv format)
3 out of 10 stars Time to read: 1:51 min
BASIC PLOT:
Larry & Elizabeth Sorenson ((
Tobias Mehler &
Tracey Gold) are starting a new life, in a new city, after Larry testified against his former employer.
Unbeknownst to Larry, his previous boss had many illegal ventures, and Larry was implicated when law enforcement moved in. Larry decided to become a witness for the state, to avoid prosection. He didn't get Wit-Sec though, instead he just changed his name, took a new job across the country, and tried to start over.
While at lunch, on the first day of his new job, he's kidnapped, and held for ransom by a terrorist group. They say they have a political agenda, but is that really what they're after? FBI agent Jade Marlo (
Robin Givens), and Detective Jimmy Kelsoe ((
Chris Kramer) aren't convinced. They think something else is going on here. Does it have to do with Larry's past? Or is it related to his new job? Can Marlo & Kelsoe stop arguing, and work together to uncover the real motives behind the kidnapping? Can they put the pieces together in time to save Larry's life, or is it already too late?
WHAT WORKS:
*NOTHING! NOTHING WORKS!
WHAT DOESN'T WORK:
*THE SHOTS ARE TERRIBLE The cinematography and the directing were more than bad, they were distracting!
*THE ACTING IS SUBPAR ESPECIALLY FROM ROBIN GIVENS but even a real actress couldn't pull off lines like, "The perps have gift wrapped this, either it's kidnappers or terrorists, and both make it my case!" (My response to that is-in my best George Takai voice: "Oh my!")
*SPECIAL AGENT MARLO DEDUCES ELIZABETH ISN'T IN LOVE W/HER HUSBAND BECAUSE SHE CAN'T FIND A RECENT PHOTO OF HIM, but that's because they just moved, and everything they own is in boxes! Wow! Top notch police work (and screenwriting)!
*IT FEELS LIKE IT WAS FILMED ON A VIDEO CAMERA It's low quality video, which doesn't help this already challenged movie.
*ELIZABETH IS SUPPOSED TO BE AN ARTIST and the paintings that are presented as hers are really cool, BUT they are all of black people. It is a bit unbelievable that a white, suburban woman, would mainly paint black men. Strange.
TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION:
I cannot recommend this movie, even to other fans of made-for-tv melodramas. The acting is bad, the writing is bad, the directing is bad, the cinematography is bad, any questions?
CLOSING NOTES:
*THIS IS A MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE, please keep that in mind before you watch/rate it. TV movies have a much lower budget, and so you expectations should be adjusted.
*I HAVE NO CONNECTION TO THE FILM, or production in ANY way. This review was NOT written in full, or in part, by a bot. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews (less trolls and fanboys), and better entertainment. Hope I helped you out.
