The Next Three Days

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.

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?

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

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

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.