Vicky Hernandez Movies

A woman whose marriage is in trouble finds herself falling for a new man as her husband's life hangs in the balance in this thriller. Peter Bowman (David Morse) and his wife Alice (Meg Ryan) have relocated to a small Latin American nation called Tecala; Peter works for an American engineering and construction firm, and his latest assignment has him building a dam that is intended to bring power to the developing nation. The ELT is a radical Marxist faction gearing up for political revolution in Tecala that has turned to kidnapping as a way to raise capital, and Peter is chosen as its next target. When Peter is ambushed on his way to work, his firm brings in Terry Thorn (Russell Crowe), a former Australian intelligence operative who now works as a private "kidnapping and ransom" negotiator. Alice is told Terry is her best hope for bringing Peter back safe and sound, but when Terry's employers run into a tight squeeze financially, they cancel their K&R insurance (which is considered a standard benefit for American employees assigned to South America), leaving Alice to rehire Terry on her own, especially since she can't possibly pay the $3 million ransom demanded by the kidnappers. As Terry and his partner Dino (David Caruso) map out a rescue plan, Alice and Terry find themselves increasingly attracted to each other. Alice's marriage to Peter was going through a rough patch when he was kidnapped, and while she's deeply concerned for his safety, she must reconcile her fears for Peter's life with her new feelings for Terry. Proof of Life is based on Adventures in the Ransom Trade, an article by journalist William Prochnau that was published in Vanity Fair, as well as on the case of real-life kidnapping victim Tom Hargrove. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This Colombian ensemble comedy, scathingly examines violence and official corruption in the tumultuous Latin American country. The story is told in flashback. In Colombia there is a law that states if an abandoned estate is occupied by squatters for a certain period of time, the land becomes theirs by default ( at the turn of the century, many wealthy landowners left their farms as the country became urbanized). The law becomes the basis of conflict when the original owners of the 48 room mansion the Olive House, aka "The Coop" by the squatters, come to reclaim it. The squatters there resist. A lawyer delays the eviction. Meanwhile a former theatrical stage manager devises an ingenious plot. The tenants, using pulleys and levers, take apart the house leaving only the facade. As they work, the personal quirks of each squatter and his or her relationship with the others are revealed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The life and death of Isabel LaNegra (Miriam Colon), a woman who rose from poverty to become a famed Caribbean madam, is the subject of a South American reporter's investigation. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

A schoolteacher (Frank Ramirez) and a butcher (Humberto Dorado) who were once best friends prepare for a duel to the death in this comedy of manners. The reason for their duel is never given, but soon the upcoming event becomes the talk of the town. Even the mayor and the police chief place bets on the event. Both men make final preparations by paying their debts, saying goodbye to loved onces, and ordering coffins. Latin machismo, bureaucracy, and religion are just some of the sacred cows that are gored by the lampooning lance that shows no mercy with satirical stabs. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Mixed feelings about life in the U.S. filter through this drama featuring Adolfo (Armando Gutierrez), a young Colombian man who works in a record store and dreams of going to America and becoming a radio announcer. He does not hold a very high station in life so when he courts his girlfriend Patricia (Marcela Agudelo), her family does not approve. Unfortunately, when Adolfo tries to obtain his tourist visa, his application is rejected because his older brother went to the U.S. and never came back. Depressed but not defeated, Adolfo opts for buying a fake passport and visa, and heads toward the airport with Patricia in tow, and more optimism than common sense. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

This often confusing political action film focuses on the history of a massacre that happened in 1948 in Colombia, the violent outcome of warring political factions with connections to organized crime. As gangs shoot it out in bloody battles, they are supposed to also be dramatizing the story of the rise of a brutal underworld kingpin from a lowly cheese vendor to crime boss -- quite a stretch that leaves too much unsaid for the average viewer to understand the motivation behind these battles. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Yuppie-type Michael Berger (Edward Bell) and his bitter wife Lee (Linda Marsh) can barely stand each other as it is. Things don't get much better when they move to Puerto Rico to a house he just inherited from his brother, and the circumstances aren't all that auspicious. It seems his brother murdered his wife before committing suicide. Since they don't see much future in their marriage anyway, they agree to try the then-popular sport of wife-swapping. In this movie, however, more than just wives are swapped, as explicit sexual references and lesbian encounters also take place. Michael goes ballistic from time to time, and his wife is a real queen of sarcasm. Their dislike of each other grows throughout the film, but the bonds which hold them together have never seemed more unbreakable. This movie was produced in 1970 and went commercially unreleased for almost 20 years. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide