Russell Crowe is a pretty reliable star, one who commands the screen with intelligence and enough bravado to get away with a film like this. Somehow, audiences and critics are getting more demanding and expect brainier and tighter story lines, but it's still plenty of fun to see a light, crazy ride like this... One where the hero is besieged by unfortunate circumstances and must one way or another succeed or die. With the help of Haggis' strong direction and a very good performance by Crow, we're treated to two hours of action, where one doesn't have to do a lot of thinking, just watching Crowe dodge bullet after bullet and cheer him along to the nail-biting end. Show The main reason the film works is Crowe gives it his best, scene after scene his eyes tells us his character is committed to his family, and he will stand by them no matter what. There is very little background given to us, except for an opening scene which serves the purpose of planting the seed of doubt in our minds, but this only helps fuel the sense of despair and sadness that threatens to destroy this family. Little by little, we follow Crowe's teacher, as he races against the clock to help his wife, and soon enough, he is dealing with the scum of society and an increasingly suspicious police force. Relationships with his family are tense at best, and any new relationships are threatened his wife's past. It's the attention to this intimate and personal moments that makes us care for him, even when he makes a couple of disturbing moves. One thing you won't be is bored, as the circle tightens, so that his quest might not get his desired results. Fine work is done by a cast that includes Brian Dennehy, Liam Nelson, and Jsson Beghe. This is what movies are made for. 269 out of 315 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 8/10 Surprisingly good movie. This is a surprisingly good movie, not the usual Hollywood formula potboiler. The movie has an interesting story, strong acting and excellent cinematography. Perhaps the plot is somewhat far-fetched but so what? It's a movie. The best part of this movie are not the stars but the supporting cast. Most impressive was the performance by Lennie James who definitely deserves formal recognition for his work in this movie. So strong is his performance that I this movie could easily be retitled "The Pursuit" without misleading the audience. Both Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks give strong performances and Brian Dennehy once again proves how great he is as an actor. At times the story does stretch the boundaries of plausibility but never to the point that the story is rendered ridiculous. In this movie there are no bad guys. Rather it dramatizes a justice system that at times may not get it right and how frustration and indignation can lead one to commit acts of desperation. 195 out of 236 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 9/10 Heart-stoppingly good! Warning: Spoilers Had read some positive / negative reviews so wasn't sure what to expect. I cannot believe how emotional this film was! The beginning is good - we find out who everyone is and how everyone got to where they are, nothing especially exciting but well-written and acted. Then the film kicks into gear with the escape. Honestly, I was actually shaking at one point with nerves because I wasn't sure if they would make it or not. People criticising films for not being believable should go and watch documentaries. This film was exciting, had excellent music, was well acted and the positives FAR outweighed any negatives. Definitely glad I watched this. 9/10 162 out of 195 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 10/10 Intriguing thriller The Next Three Days The best films are those where you are introduced to characters who do the unpredictable believably, or people you think will be key players die in the opening scene, someone you least expect turns out to be the murderer, these are the films that keep you guessing and keep you involved. In Paul Haggis' intense thriller he chooses a wise and well crafted angle to lure you in and hold your attention. The development of John Brennan and his gradual transformation over time before your very eyes. Meet John Brennan, he's a normal average working man, slightly nerdy even, living a fairly dull routine life. When his wife is imprisoned for murder John, as you would expect of a normal average slightly nerdy working man follows the rules of appeal in an attempt to win her freedom. Three years pass and the realisation that his wife will remain behind bars for life hits home. When normal people find themselves in hopeless situations desperation can drive them to do very abnormal things. What Haggis works brilliantly into both his screenplay and direction is the gradual metamorphosis of Brennan's persona as he becomes fixated on breaking his wife out of prison. Brennan doesn't suddenly become the all American action hero capable of great feats of courage. We have a knowledge of his character from the beginning of the film and Haggis does not treat the audience as idiots, we know that Brennan cannot walk into a phonebox and there's a sudden change into superman. This would not work for John Brennan, the nerdy schoolteacher, what we see however is how little by little, piece by piece he falls more and more out of control, deeper and deeper out of his depth. We know this is not the normal behaviour of Brennan, but the screenplay is so well crafted and Crowe delivers the character to us perfectly that both the scenarios and Brennan remain at all times, believable. He makes tremendous mistakes and shows real human failings and frailties that as we ride along with him we're never far from the belief that it will all go very wrong, very soon. Haggis treats us to a wonderfully woven story that rolls along with ease, then suddenly the momentum builds into a Tsunami of real tension. Brennan is completely exposed and you fear for his outcome. If a director can pull you into the story, make you care about a character, and if during the course of that film allow you to watch that character change in a very real and gradual way then he has delivered a truly great film. Haggis' screenplay does not allow the audience to get ahead of the story. Developments are unexpected and plausible scenarios affect action and reaction. Some events have no bearing on the outcome but you cannot know which are red herrings and which are genuine avenues rather you find yourself wondering where this will all lead to, making The Next Three Days a complex and intriguing thriller very much in the cerebral and classical sense such as North by Northwest or Vertigo. A tremendous, faultless film. 10/10 221 out of 264 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 7/10 intense and compelling Russel Crowe plays John and Elizabeth Banks plays his wife.one night she is arrested for murder.after years of fighting with the legal system to try to free her,he learns she will be sent to prison for life in three days.now he must find a way to stop that from happening.this movie is full of suspense and intensity.it's tightly written(Paul Haggis wrote the screenplay)and well directed by Paul Haggis.the acting is superb from both Russel Crowe and Elizabeth Banks,who continues to show her flair as a dramatic actress.Daniel Stern had a small role,but was very impressive as well.this is a film i'd definitely watch again.for me,The Next Three Days is a 7/10 58 out of 76 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 9/10 Really Really Good All I can say is... Big Wow. Boy did I enjoy this film. The story-line is a cross between The Fugitive and a human heist plot movie. There were moments where I genuinely really didn't know which way the story would end. Has to be one of the best, if not the best film I've seen this year. I just had to watch right through to the end. The only down side, were the roles of the 2 main cops. I'm not sure if 2 real cops would be as persistent. But I guess if they weren't, then the film would be a fair bit shorter. I can't think of any other bad things about it, as it does what it is supposed to do, make you care about the characters and keep you gripped till the end. All in all very entertaining. Definitely worth watching. 412 out of 481 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 8/10 Great thriller in line with The Town Warning: Spoilers In Paul Haggis' new thriller, The Next Three Days, Laura Brennan (Elizabeth Banks) is accused of killing her boss and is sent to prison. Her husband, John Brennan (Russell Crowe) battles through the legal system for nearly three years before seemingly running out of options. Choosing not to go the Hilary Swank route a la Conviction and spend the next 30 years trying to learn and eventually beat the system, John elects instead to speak to an expert on prison escapes (a wonderfully placed cameo by Liam Neeson) to get pointers on what to expect in a daring prison break attempt. The Neeson character gives important advice in reference to the time it takes for authorities to seal off a city's exits, but also gives insight into what his plan should include – "You have to have the entire plan already in place. And you have to ask yourself, can you kill a guard, leave your kid at a gas station cause to do this thing, that's what you have to become." Audiences are then treated to a taut and thrilling attempt by John to free his wife out of prison and reunite the family which includes their young son Luke (Ty Simpkins). The Next Three Days is a better than average thrill ride filled with equal moments of edge-of-your-seat action and true emotion that spurs the entire cast. Crowe quickly makes us forget that Robin Hood stole our box office money earlier this year and turns in a top-rate performance as the husband who must become a criminal himself in an attempt to pull off the impossible. The supporting cast which includes a non-glamorous Banks and small but memorable turns by Daniel Stern and Brian Dennehy help bridge the quieter moments of the 2+ hour film. As John maps out his intricate plan, he is met with obstacles that force him to revise his original course of action to supplement for the unforeseen complications. His attempts at securing financing and proper papers (Drivers License, Passport) take the majority of the film's running time and helps provide insight into the transformation of John's character that goes from college professor to cold blooded killer. When John does launch his intentions, The Next Three Days soars as an exciting chase throughout the Pittsburgh streets and sidewalks as a group lead by Lt. Nabulsi (Lennie James) gives relentless chase to the fleeing Brennans. Paul Haggis (who also penned the screenplay) directs for the first time since the underrated In The Valley of Elah in 2007 and crafts an exhilarating cat and mouse game that involves audiences in a root-for-the-family emotional ride all the while suggesting that protagonist John is equally guilty in his relentless pursuit. Surprisingly not complicating our support is the idea that Laura may indeed be guilty of the crime to which she was convicted. The ever twisting screenplay shows Haggis' knack for writing scripts that don't allow audiences to get too far ahead of the story developments as unexpected and plausible scenarios affect even the best laid out of plans. This may leave lesser minded cinephiles wondering why certain scenes were not left on the cutting room floor (a DVD chapters worth of making a specific key, for example), but for those engrossed in the ongoing struggle of John's pursuit should appreciate the occasional red herring. The sum of the above leaves The Next Three Days as on par or better than Ben Affleck's well-received The Town earlier this fall. It's a throwback to the superior thrillers of the late 1970's where the story journey's down unexpected highways while enthralling an audience along the way. 81 out of 107 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 8/10 An exhilarating edge of the seat thriller. Just saw this at a London preview screening. I have not seen the original that this is apparently a remake of so I cannot compare. What I can say is that this movie was deftly directed with a perfect pacing that smoothly shifts through each gear from 1 to full throttle. It starts off with the necessary slow exposition, transitioning to a heartfelt family crisis drama and crime thriller with the tension slowly cranking up to a breakneck speed when I was literally holding my breath in the compelling edge of the seat finale. What I admire most about this film is the smooth kinetic flow from scene to scene. There didn't seem to be any implausible leap in logic apart from maybe towards the end but everything just connects together so well. All of the actors were superb in their roles. As for Russel Crowe, well I can't think of many actors who expresses wordless undying love better than he can. He is simply a master of it and you just cant help root for him even if he makes or contemplates morally wrong decisions. His character is beautifully played with all the invulnerability, weaknesses and stubborn obsession he possesses. The supporting actors were all excellent in the little screen time that they each get. And there is even a brilliant cameo by a well known Irish actor (shant spoil who it is for you) that sparked up the screen briefly in an instrumental role to the plot. The great Brian Denhhey also has a few minutes on screen time as Crowes father, hardly uttering a word but you just know exactly what is going on in his mind and it is absolutely touching. So in summary, this is a top thriller with an exhilarating edge of the seat 3rd act, enriched by beautifully touching moments and thick underlying subtext of undying love. 98 out of 124 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 8/10 Efficient Thriller Warning: Spoilers "The Next Three Days" is a tight, hard-hitting thriller that had me on the edge of my seat throughout the film. I really didn't know, right up to the final moments, how it would end – and because the film had expertly guided me to care about all the characters, even some random losers in a meth lab, I did care about how it would end. The actors are all good with Russell Crowe especially so, and the realistically gritty sets perfectly match the film's desperate tone. Elizabeth Banks' too-good-to-be-true wholesome, sunny good looks are well used. "The Next Three Days" reminded me of Hitchcock, and of 1993's "The Fugitive," but it doesn't rise to that level of classic. Rather, it's a well-oiled machine, designed efficiently to crank out the audience's engagement, tension and release. There are a couple of especially good moments. The opening scene could have been satisfactory if all it did was to set the stage for what is to follow, but it does so much more. I'd love to watch that scene again (and again). A women with a plunging neckline spars with Lara, a more modestly dressed woman, about whether or not women can ever get over their competition over men and bond with each other. The scene demonstrates its contents: Ms. Décolletage uses double entendres to make a pass at Lara's husband, and Lara shows the audience she is quite capable of losing her temper, an important plot point. The brilliant writing in this scene is a bonus. There is a scene involving a sewer drain that economically resolves a question the audience has had for some time. A scene with a car door is similarly powerful and informative. Brian Dennehy's performance as an intimacy-impaired, working class dad is almost wordless and quite brilliant. And the film really does bring poignancy to the scum of the earth, drug dealers. 101 out of 140 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 8/10 fantastic Russell Crowe is desperate to break his wife (Elizabeth Banks) out of jail in "The Next Three Days," a 2010 film directed by Paul Haggis. Crowe and Banks play John and Lara Brennan, a happily married couple with one child. Lara is arrested and convicted to life in prison for murdering her boss, though she claims she didn't do it. A woman brushed by her as she was entering the parking lot where her boss was found dead. However, because her prints were on the murder weapon and blood was on her coat, the jury votes guilty. A few years pass and John and Lara hold onto hope that she will win her appeal, but she doesn't. John realizes that he has no choice but to break her out of jail. His timeline is shattered when he learns that she's being transferred to prison soon, giving him only three days. Wonderful, action-packed and gut-wrenching story of a normal man who is so desperate he nearly goes insane. Crowe is remarkable as John,a teacher who talks about Don Quixote living in a world of his own reality. He soon must practice what he preaches as he walks the mean streets in order to work out a careful plan, even as he cares for his young son Luke (Ty Simpkins) who has become more and more withdrawn and angry since his mother's imprisonment. Beautifully directed by Paul Haggis, The Next Three Days keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout -- you're never sure what's going to happen or how far John will go. There is a wordless scene between John and his father (Brian Dennehy) that will break your heart. Besides Crowe, Banks, and Dennehy, the excellent cast also includes Liam Neeson, Olivia Wilde, and Jason Beghe. Don't miss this. 12 out of 15 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 7/10 Far more Hollywood than the French original, but still a decent thriller Warning: Spoilers Lara Brennan is serving life for a murder which, her husband believes, she did not commit. As her final appeal fails she attempts suicide. At this point her teacher husband John (Russell Crowe) comes to the conclusion that the only course of action left to him is to break her out of prison and flee the country with her and their son. To do this, however, he will have to discover how far into the criminal underworld he is prepared to go. This is a remake of the French thriller Pour Elle (All for Her) of a couple of years ago. That was a gripping and rather low key little movie. Russell Crowe doesn't really do low key, and the final break out sequence is far larger scale and more action packed (and more filled with things going wrong) than the suspenseful French equivalent. Elizabeth Banks as Lara looks small, dowdy and vulnerable throughout most of the movie, and is becoming an actress who impresses me with each role she takes - she has a huge range. Russell Crowe's John isn't a vast amount different from several po-faced contemporary city-dwellers he has offered recently. But there is a moment, relatively dialogue-free, between Crowe and Brian Dennehy playing his father, which is worth the price of admission on its own. 10 out of 12 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 7/10 Gritty and noir-ish Another noir French thriller is converted into a 'noir-ish' American thriller. Russell Crowe's slightly thuggish looks make him more convincing as the desperado of the second half than the mild-mannered schoolteacher of the first half. Elizabeth Banks's role as the imprisoned wife is slightly under-written; their cute toddler son steals most of her scenes and even some of Russell's. The plot takes too long to set up, so the first half of the film is a slow haul. But the last half has almost the cracking pace of a DIE HARD romp. Writer/director Paul Haggis elects to deceive the audience as well as the police who are in close pursuit of the fugitives, which puts this in the tradition of 'classics' like TO CATCH A THIEF and CHARADE. Gritty and enjoyable. 76 out of 109 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 7/10 Pretty good thriller. I'll admit that I was already partially sold on The Next Three Days from the cast alone. Russell Crowe usually does really well in thrillers, and Elizabeth Banks is one of those actresses that you just love to see on the screen. They're joined by Liam Neeson and Olivia Wilde in small (but appreciated) roles. Not a bad collection of actors, right? Crowe in particular gave a good performance that (thankfully) wiped his recent half-hearted turn as Robin Hood right out of my mind. The story is about an average guy who plots to break his wife out of prison, where she's serving time for a murder that he doesn't believe she committed. He's a community college teacher, not an expert on prison escapes, so a lot of The Next Three Days is spent with Crowe's character researching how he can accomplish his goal and trying to get passports, money, etc. It's only in the last 30 minutes when the plan is actually put into action, but the movie stays exciting and interesting throughout. I unfortunately haven't been able to check out the original French film, Pour Elle, so I can't compare quality between the two. Judged solely on its own merits, I thought The Next Three Days was a solid, tense, occasionally clever thriller. Nothing mind-blowing, but not many glaring flaws, either. There are a few moments when the move strays a little too far beyond believability (ex. super cops repeatedly making huge, unerring leaps of logic), but I still recommend it. Cool soundtrack, too. Who would have thought The Like would be featured in a big budget Hollywood flick? 9 out of 11 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 5/10 Passable remake Warning: Spoilers THE NEXT THREE DAYS is the American remake of a French thriller about an ordinary guy who has no option but to bust his wife out of prison and go on the run when she starts experiencing mental health difficulties. Watching this, I couldn't help but wonder what the original movie would have been like and how much better it could have possibly been. THE NEXT THREE DAYS is certainly a passable thriller by Hollywood standards as it maintains a tense realism throughout. Russell Crowe is well cast as the dedicated family man willing to do anything it takes to get his family back together and the thriller aspects of the story, particularly the prison break elements, are well handled. However, one real problem the film has is the padding; it seems go on and on and on without ever going anywhere, especially in the early on scenes which feature Crowe trying to make some contacts on the streets. Paul Haggis handles the direction well, but he needed to employ a ruthless editor when it came to the length. I'm not quite sure how this happened, since the original French film has a relatively short running time in comparison. The other problem with Elizabeth Banks, who just doesn't work as a convincing, serious actress. She was fine in SLITHER, but in this and MAN ON A LEDGE she feels badly out of her depth. The nadir of the film comes during the inexcusably cheesy moment where she's hanging out of the car and screaming; I've rarely seen such nonsense outside of a B-movie! 18 out of 29 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 6/10 A Popcorn Remake of the French Thriller "Pour Elle" (2008) In Pittsburgh, the family man and community college teacher John Brennan (Russell Crowe) has his life turned upside down when his beloved wife Lara Brennan (Elizabeth Banks) is arrested, accused for murdering her boss, and sent to the Allegheny County Jail. Along three years, John raises their son Luke (Ty Simpkins) alone and appeals to the court; however, the evidences against Lara are solid – the motive, since she had and argument with her boss; her fingerprints in the murder weapon, a fire extinguisher; blood stain in her coat; and a witness that saw her leaving the parking lot - and her lawyer exhausts all the possible resources in justice. John believes in the innocence of his wife and interviews a former escapee from prison to learn how to plan a prison break. Then he plots a scheme to release Lara and travel abroad with Luke and her. However, he needs documents for the family; an escape plan; and lots of money. When John is informed that Lara will be transferred to the state prison within the next three days, he needs to raise a large amount and anticipate his strategy before the transference. A couple of days ago I wrote: quote "The Next Three Days" is a good thriller that could have been excellent with minor modifications in the screenplay. The story of a family man that loves and believes that his imprisoned wife is innocent and plans to rescue her from prison is engaging. But the correct guesses and the serendipity of Lieutenant Nabulsi (Lennie James) are irritating and Lara's reckless attitude on the road is so stupid that almost destroy the plot of this good blockbuster film. I enjoyed a lot seeing Brian Dennehy again after a long period. Last but not the least, the mesmerizing beauty of Olivia Wilde is awesome. My vote is seven. unquote However, I have just watched the great French thriller "Pour Elle", which has the original story without the absurd modifications of the popcorn American remake. It is amazing the lack of creation of this former successful American industry that insists in the remake of great films. My vote is six. Title (Brazil): "72 Horas" ("72 Hours") 41 out of 75 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 10/10 Superb! Set aside the fact that people are forgetting how to enjoy a flick. Pick away all you want at little parts of even the greatest film ever and you'll surely find something to criticize. A movie is, well, a movie. So now that all that is out of the way, where do I even start? This film brought me to tears, it had my attention the whole way through. I don't understand those that say parts are slow, what were they watching? It wasn't this one, that's for sure. Everybody that worked to put this one together did a fantastic job, and it most definitely shows. I do believe the movie touched me so intensely in part because I have a wife and a son, and was able to feel a relation to the characters. Regardless, the movie was just fantastic, and you will not regret the experience. Unless of course you are one of the rising population of "movie critics" that score films based on guidelines, or however they get their ridiculous views. Enjoy this one! 135 out of 172 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 7/10 Pour Elle That is the title of the original french movie this is based on. And funnily enough that movie is not that old. So is there a reason to watch this if you already know the original? I'd say hardly. There are a few differences, but in the end most things (results) are the same in both movies. It has been "americanized", if you want to call it that, but Paul Haggis and Russell Crowe are there to make sure, it does not get out of hand too much. But to tell you the truth, I'm pretty sure that most people will not even have heard of the Original French movie. So if you go into the movie completely unaware, you will either relish in the entertainment value the movie offers or be mad at some illogical twists and turns during the end of the movie. Let yourself be entertained, if you can! 14 out of 22 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 9/10 A Modern Don Quixote Warning: Spoilers There is a brief scene in "The Next Three Days" where we see the community college teacher John (Russell Crowe) walking his class through Cervantes' classic novel "Don Quixote." The analysis is sharp as the teacher describes a character in a world out of control where he is fabricating events in his mind that do not correspond to the real world. The film is about a character who follows the Don Quixote template with greater success than his fictional counterpart. This film excels in nearly every quality of a good film--smart scripting, tremendous suspense, great performances, terrific location footage of Pittsburgh. Even the lesser characters are intriguing, such as the obsessive police sergeant worthy of Inspector Javert, the kind single mom who helps out David, and the savvy grandfather who intuitively understands his son's scheme. Even the ambitious crowd scenes were brilliantly conceived and staged with precision. The transformation of John is fascinating as he begins as a complete rube, failing in his plan to utilize a "bump key" and relying on youtube videos to learn how to rob a bank. One of the best lines of the film is when John purchases a revolver and tells the clerk casually, "Show me where the bullets go." Liam Neeson has a star turn in a single scene as John's criminal advisor. While the film may have stretched credibility about why Lara would have been convicted of murder in the first place and the degree to which the city of Pittsburgh would have been paralyzed with her escape, it was nonetheless thoroughly well-crafted cinema that deserves the grade of A+ for the spellbinding tension and suspense. 9 out of 13 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 8/10 A Showcase for Russell Crowe Many have been wondering when Russell Crowe would make another film that lived up to his performance in 'A Beautiful Mind'. THE NEXT THREE DAYS may not have the quality of script of that previous success, but in this taut film Crowe once again reveals how completely involved in a character he can become. The film was written by Fred Cavayé, Guillaume Lemans, and writer/director Paul Haggis and the result is a story that while it may appear incredible to most, it is nonetheless an involving story of a man's love and commitment to his wife. John Brennan (Russell Crowe) is a schoolteacher who has a happy home life with his beautiful wife Lara (Elizabeth Banks) and son Luke (Ty Simpson). After a strange night out on the town the Brennan's return home to be met by policemen who arrest Lara for a murder she claims she did not commit. Jump three years and John has been working with lawyers, spending their paltry savings, on getting appeals to get Lara released from jail. He gets moral support from his parents (Helen Carey and Brian Dennehy) but sees his family falling apart. After three years have passed and when all legal portals fail, Lara attempts suicide and John decides the only way to get Lara out of prison is to aid in her escape. He visits writer Damon Pennington (Liam Neeson) who has escaped from prison several times and outlines the dangers AND the only secure methods for affecting a prison escape. John slowly and methodically prepares for the escape, gaining money by contacting drug lord Mouss (RZA), commits some crimes of his own as he masterminds his plan to successfully extract Lara from prison. There are many twists and turns to the story, well written subplots and unexpected coincidences, all populated with a very strong cast of capable actors. The real pleasure of watching this movie is to admire how totally committed Russell Crowe is to this role. It is a very fine performance - one of his most subtle and best. THE NEXT THREE DAYS is well worth watching. Grady Harp 6 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 8/10 One determined husband Warning: Spoilers In The Next Three Days, we get to see Russell Crowe in a film that actually takes place in today's world. It's a departure from his better known films that take place in the past such as Gladiator, Master and Commander, and Robin Hood. Even his other films have usually taken place over 50 years ago like Cinderella Man and A Beautiful Mind. So it's nice to finally see him play a person of modern times that we can relate to – and he excels at it. Similar to the film Conviction released last month, which was about a woman who did whatever it took to get her brother released from prison, Crowe plays a man named John Brennan who will stop at nothing to get his wife out of prison. But in this film, he's not out to do it through the legal system. He has lost all faith in that; he decides he's going to break her out of prison himself. Of course, he believes his wife is innocent and doesn't even question her on the matter. He continues to raise their son on his own yet, at the same time, plots out every single detail it would take to pull off such an arduous task. He even seeks out a man who wrote a book detailing the multiple times he managed to escape from prison himself. The man is played by Liam Neeson in somewhat of a one-scene cameo. But that scene lays the groundwork for how John devises his plan and becomes convinced that he is capable of succeeding. He learns that not one detail can be overlooked. John goes from being a schoolteacher to a guy who carries a gun and makes deals in shady neighborhoods to get the tools that he needs. Still, he watches over his son and takes him to the local playground to be the good father that he is while not doing illegal activity. It just shows how good of a man he really is but that he is willing to resort to anything in order to free his wife. The movie becomes a real thriller, one of the best I've seen in a while. It's the kind of film where you find yourself really rooting for the main character and it keeps you on the edge of your seat as well. Though it may seem a little unrealistic to pull off such a scheme in real life, Russell Crowe plays John with enough determination and conscientiousness to make you believe that anything can be done if you try hard enough. 56 out of 80 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 9/10 Excellent! This has to be one of the best films I have watched of late. Everything you would wish it to be. Very tense at times and keeps you on edge. Great acting from Russell Crowe and the story is very smart and gripping. Not as predictable as some films seem to be when using a similar storyline to this. Very entertaining all the way through from start to finish with no gaps which is always good for a film that exceeds 2 hours in duration. A very different performance from Crowe which we don't offer see, but be played it very well, and very powerful. Definitely a must watch. Don't wait around for this one, I would strive to watch it straight away for those that haven't done so yet. 109 out of 139 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 8/10 Almost-Unbearable Suspense Warning: Spoilers Credibility is stretched here to the max....but so what? This is a fun film to watch and one of the mores suspenseful ones you'll ever see. The last 30-40 minutes is unbearably tense. Russell Crowe, as usual, is very good in the lead role, playing schoolteacher "John Brennan." Elizabeth Banks is riveting in her scenes as John's wife "Lara," who is charged and convicted of murder. After it appears all hope is lost, Brennan - with a ton of obstacles ahead of him - tries the impossible: break his wife out of jail and flee the country with her and their young son. There are so many twists and turns, up and downs, in this story it will make your head swim.....but it is entertaining. Prepare to be exhausted when the movie is over but don't take much of it seriously. 11 out of 18 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 10/10 Acting out the Grind.. More People Need to See this Movie! Coming in at Little more than two hours. "The next three days", moves fast and tough. My Hat is off to Mr.Crowe especially.He carries this movie very well. His depiction of John Brennan is very good. A man in the middle of a real mess of a life, The movie moves fast so before you know it, the nitty gritty reality of the situation is in effect very soon. It doesn't lag at all. Showing at a little over 2 hours, The Next three Days doesn't rest in showing the full blown restlessness of the Two main character's development. Which shows the talent from Crowe and actually more so in Elizabeth Banks. Who really stole the movie. Her scenes are short and sweet. Yet the range of emotion you see from her generates real mystery and sincerity. Sitting front row center I never really miss much in a Picture. I sat patiently grinding my teeth with eyes bulging from the strong real magnetic draw I felt in this movie. Sipping the bitter sweet HI-c Pink lemonade which was how the Movie felt as well. I never like to give anything away in any of my reviews. Just the reactions I had felt watching it. It's hard to concentrate when let's say someone won't stop coughing, is on their cell phone, or better yet has a digital watch going off every 15 minutes clockwork. In the end I don't feel I really missed anything watching this. It is hard for a short attention span to really waver from this one. If I had it my way the Surroud sound would be as loud as possible, but Hey .. you can't win them all. Anyway I come to understand that Paul Haggis (The writer and Director) Sure knows how to Create a honest, true to life motion picture. Getting older I can now sympathize more so with the plot and true to life situation. I don't know why the people who work for the LionsGate or whoever is responsible for the release date, chose to put it out the same day as the new "Harry Potter" was released. Unless your Christopher Nolan, Spielbeg or maybe James Cameron you just can't match up. Nonetheless it is a extremely tense and thrilling movie on it's own. Liam Neleson was fantastic as usual It would have been nice to give him a couple extra scenes, since his part of this film is a real strong spark which get's the film on the ground and running. Olivia Wilde Made her mark as a good friend and model neighbor, so she was quite important in this one. Lastly Ty Simpkins he did well too, as the Son who naive to world was yet very favorable to what he wants and knows is right. Once again I extract these things from the film as I see them trying not to give anything away. All in all highly recommended. "See it twice and call me in the morning." Good work all around I don't what it takes out of Russell Crowe to make a movie like this and be in a real honest form, seemingly on the verge of a nervous break the entire time. I really felt for the man. And I think you will too. So go out and see this movie. I guess after Harry Potter, but I had seen it before. 71 out of 118 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 9/10 What we do for love! Warning: Spoilers Screenwriters are told that actors choose scripts by reading the first and last ten pages. If the role is any good, the character you meet in the first act evolves into someone else by the end of the film. Russell Crowe's character, John, takes that kind of journey. Most know this movie is about a community college English teacher whose wife is accused of murdering her boss and is convicted as a result. Exhausting appeals, John, who believes in his wife's innocence despite evidence to the contrary, decides to take matters into his own hands. To do so, he must navigate the netherworld of crime and become a student of you tube crime videos to become a criminal sharp enough to break his wife out of prison. Without the internet, where would we be? The first act is a highly compressed, somewhat slow set up for John's criminal development. We see how happy John and Laura are, how devoted to their baby, then suddenly the police rush into their home and swoop up his wife. Life changes instantly. We are spared the trial and move into a few years later when the last appeal denied seals Laura's fate. Her suicide attempt motivates John into action. Tutored by the man with "a highly specialized skill set," Taken star Liam Neeson, John is warned about what he's going to have to do and and the kind of man he must be to pull this off. I thought the movie was well done and quite thrilling with a lot of twists and turns. Yes, a few of the cinematic techniques are recognizable "tradecraft," that Haggis could have tried to spin a bit differently--movie buffs will instantly know what's happening during the airport chase--but still, he's done it well and the experience was no less suspenseful. My only complaint is that Crowe doesn't emote much throughout the film, so you don't see a noticeable dramatic transformation in his character--say from a Clark Kent to a Superman, or from a kid brother Michael to a Godfather Michael Corleone. Russell Crowe has been in so many action movies that we all are used to him being a character that gets the job done. If it had been my choice, I would have cast a more unlikely actor, perhaps a Ryan Gosling, an actor for whom action or superhero status has not been the norm. Doing so would have made John's character evolution more impressive. Even though the film relies on many of the standard suspense elements for this kind of film, The Next Three Days was highly entertaining and as fun to watch as The Town. For those curious about its remake status, it is based on the 2008 French film called Pour Elle, or Anything for Her, and is nearly a duplicate. I've seen the film and it's just as good as the remake. 42 out of 69 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 8/10 Good Prison Break Drama with a Good Crowe Performance Warning: Spoilers Academy Award winning writer & director Paul Haggis puts Oscar winner Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks through the wringer as a husband breaking his wife out of jail in the American remake of the 2008 French thriller "Anything for Her." "The Next 3 Days" qualifies as an exciting but implausible suspense saga enhanced by adroitly staged action scenes, top-notch performances from a seasoned cast, and enough red herrings and obstacles to make you want to gnaw your fingernails. Best known for scripting and helming "Crash," Haggis took home an Oscar for writing and directing and the film clinched Best Picture. He received an Oscar for his "Million Dollar Baby" screenplay, and he is credited as one of the creators for the long-running Chuck Norris television series "Walker, Texas Ranger." Recently, Haggis wrote two of the less James Bond extravaganzas: "Casino Royale" and "Quantum of Solace." Basically, Haggis knows a thing or two about actioneers, and he makes an incredible jailbreak seem credible in "The Next 3 Days." Moreover, aside from its hefty two hour plus length, this pulse pounding, distaff version of "The Fugitive" remains largely faithful to its Gallic source material. The City of Pittsburgh plays an important part in the plot and "The Next 3 Days" serves as a first-class travelogue for the town. Unlike many movies that shoot city landmarks to authenticate their yarns and then shoot urban scenes in Canada, Pittsburgh has no stand-ins. Pittsburgh natives will probably be the only ones to groan about some of the logistical contradictions of the town. Anybody who has seen the "Mythbusters" television show will know that utilizing air pressure by means to a tennis ball to unlock a door won't work. However, there are many sites about bump keys on YouTube like the one featured here that our protagonist watches for information. As gripping as PG-13 rated "The Next 3 Days" is, Haggis never lets the violence, drug material, profane language, and sexuality become gratuitously gritty. "The Next 3 Days" opens in a restaurant as John Brennan (Russell Crowe of "Robin Hood") and his wife Lara (Elizabeth Banks of "Role Models") are dining with John's brother Mick (Michael Buie of "Mystery, Alaska") and Mick's wife Erit (Moran Atias of "Land of the Lost"). Workplace politics precipitates an argument, and Erit insists a woman can serve under a man better than a man can serve under a woman. Lara suspects Erit is trying to seduce John, and the two ladies clash. Later, the next morning, Lara and John are enjoying breakfast with their young son Luke. Lara snaps a photo of them. No sooner has this scene of domestic happiness transpired than the Pittsburgh Police Department converge on John' house. They arrest Lara for the murder of her boss. Lara's boss was a woman and Haggis inserts a flashback of Lara and her superior arguing. Eventually, Lara storms down to the parking lot and collides with an unknown woman. We see Lara pick up a fire extinguisher. A bystander entering the high rise parking lot spots Lara leaving and notices a woman sprawled on the concrete by her car. Since Lara got into an argument with her boss, the Pittsburgh Police arrest her. They find Lara's trench coat that she was in the process of washing out a blood stain. The blood stain matches the DNA of her murdered boss. Based on this evidence, the jury finds Lara guilty. John refuses to believe that Lara could coldly kill her boss and then sit through a diner date without betraying herself. Over the course of the next three years, the predicament John and Lara face grows steadily worse. John's attorney, Meyer Fisk (Daniel Stern of "Home Alone"), tries to get John to examine the evidence from an objective perspective so he can understand why their appeal failed. Things come to a boil quickly as Lara tries to commit suicide. She doesn't want to endure a twenty year stretch for murder. John decides to take matters into his own hands. He contacts an ex-con, Damon Pennington (Liam Neeson of "The A-Team"), who has penned a book about his prison exploits, specifically his many escapes. Damon warns John to be prepared because the police will catch him by blocking off the bridges around Pittsburgh and shoot him on sight. John devises an elaborate escape plan which requires him to enter the criminal underworld. Primarily, John needs forged passports authentic enough to fool the authorities so he can relocate his family to South America. John learns quickly that trying to break Lara out of prison is no picnic. He is nearly caught at one point in the prison using a bump key. Nevertheless, John explores all the possibilities with a scrapbook map plastered onto one wall of his house. This scene and setting recall the ABC-TV series "Prison Break" where the hero sought to break his brother out of prison. John discovers that breaking Lara out of jail isn't so easy so he tampers with Lara's diabetes medical folder. Initially, Lara refuses to accompany him when John gets the drop of the cops escorting her. The last half hour of "The Next 3 Days" moves like a roller-coaster with many surprises to heighten the suspense. A paunchy Crowe looks believable as John Brennan; Brennan teaches English literature at a community college teacher. He is the last person who would embark on such a desperate mission. John doesn't discuss his ideas with his father and mother. Elizabeth Banks is good as his imprisoned wife. Somewhere along the way, Lara confides in John that she did kill her boss. John doesn't let this revelation alter his plans. Haggis keeps the action careening along at top speed, and Crowe makes the hero a sympathetic fellow. Crowe's character shift from a peaceful community college to a gun-toting thug is impressive. When does the threeThe three-month period begins the day following the decision for which the claimant seeks judicial review. If the final day of the period falls on a weekend, bank holiday, or other day when the court office is closed, the applicant may issue the claim form on the first business day afterward. What is the threeThe three-day review period is three business days and begins from the moment the contract, signed by the seller, is delivered to the buyer. During these three days, the buyer or seller can back out of the contract for any reason. Is 'the next three days' a good movie?Director Paul Haggis has built his reputation on soapbox movies like Crash and In the Valley of Elah, so it's surprising that, once The Next Three Days finishes speaking about the female power dynamic and the broken justice system, it simply turns into a straight-ahead thriller packed with intricate details and gripping suspense. Is the next three days a good book?Some events have no bearing on the outcome but you cannot know which are red herrings and which are genuine avenues rather you find yourself wondering where this will all lead to, making The Next Three Days a complex and intriguing thriller very much in the cerebral and classical sense such as North by Northwest or Vertigo. Why is the next 3 days Rated PG 13?Why is The Next Three Days rated PG-13? The Next Three Days is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for violence, drug material, language, some sexuality and thematic elements. Was the wife innocent in The Next Three Days?The Next Three Days ending reveals the truth about the murder, proving Lara's innocence despite earlier doubt. The ambiguity surrounding Lara's guilt adds to the suspense and questions throughout the movie. Is The Next Three Days worth watching?The real pleasure of watching this movie is to admire how totally committed Russell Crowe is to this role. It is a very fine performance - one of his most subtle and best. THE NEXT THREE DAYS is well worth watching. What happens at the end of the film The Next Three Days?John, Lara and Luke arrive at a hotel in Caracas. (Venezuela has no extradition treaty with the U.S.) As Lara lies down next to her son, Luke kisses his mother and they fall asleep together. As the film ends, John takes a picture of his sleeping wife and son. |
