Directed by
Paul Haggis
122 minutes
Rated M
Reviewed by
Sharon Hurst
Next Three Days,The
Synopsis: John and Lara Brennan (Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks) are a happily married couple, passionate about each other, and with a small son Luke (Ty Simpkins). When Lara is imprisoned for a murder she didn’t commit, John, by profession a teacher, uses every legal channel at his disposal to prove her innocence. As Lara becomes more desperate, John resorts to the unthinkable – to break his wife out of prison. Planning for this course of action leads him down dangerous roads and into a world where everything he knows and loves is at risk.This thriller is an American remake of the 2008 French film Pour Elle (English title, Anything For Her). I haven’t see it to be able to compare, but I am familiar with director Haggis’ previous works – namely Crash and In The Valley Of Elah, along with his award-winning screenwriting efforts on Million Dollar Baby and Letters from Iwo Jima. In the context of these films, it is interesting to see him take on such a mainstream Hollywood thriller genre (he wrote, directed and produced it) and present it in a conventional manner, which, although generating plenty of tension, really calls for some super-sized suspension of disbelief.
The big problem for me lies exactly in this: can a mild-mannered, amiable schoolteacher suddenly develop the skills and bravado needed to become a super cool dude capable of buying guns from shady underworld types, (not to mention handling those guns expertly) then meticulously plot a jailbreak, and, generally, summon up the balls to let loose his inner action hero? When it’s Russell Crowe in the role maybe anything goes but the strange conflicting content of this film are perhaps to blame. On the one hand, we’re dealing with a miscarriage of justice and an examination of how people cope when their family is a victim of this, all given a realistic treatment. On the other we have a film trying to deliver thrills, spills and tension in a generic Hollywood action movie way. Whereas Haggis’s previous films let the audience work out more for themselves, this one tends at times to be over-determined.
Having said all this though, The Next Three Days works pretty well on a basic suspense level, utilising tight camera work, and enough action scenes to satisfy any adrenalin junkie. Some excellent scenes involving John casing the prison’s daily routine had me holding my breath, as did some excitingly tense police chases. On top of this, the acting really is strong. Crowe is terrific at capturing the gamut of emotion, from teary to tough, and he is always great as a caring Dad. Banks is a strong screen presence who shines as the unfortunate wife and there are plenty of other smaller roles, especially those of a posse of assorted cops, which rise above the stereotyped norm. It’s good to also see an old fave, Brian Dennehy, as John’s Dad. The settings are authentic – both the genteel and the rough side of Pittsburgh, along with the actual Allegheny County Jail which generously gave itself up as a set.
Haggis’s film won’t set the world on fire, but being both well-made and well-acted it is a good fix for anyone needing a shot of the thriller genre.
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