72 Horas

This movie was awesome I was bored when I started to watch this, I was saying oh my, this is not all that, but it sucked me in after a few minutes and took me on an adrenaline ride that was totally unexpected. Awesome flick. Russel, you have my vote all the way on this one. Great acting, great building up, the script worked, the movie worked...and all those moments where I thought this is it there simply came these awesome moments, and then more awesomeness. This is one of those that catches you off guard, really. Russel and Banks connected in the scenes Truly they could not have gotten a better cast. All the little unexpected things get your adrenaline going. I recommend this hands down. It wove together so well, I appreciated the surprises which only builds you up until the end. Great.

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.

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.

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.

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.