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Paul Haggis has been either the director or writer for several wonderful films over the last decade; Million Dollar Baby, Crash, and Casino Royale come to mind. Haggis is trying to recapture that magic in his latest effort The Next Three Days staring Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks. Crowe and Banks play John and Laura Brennan a couple that is torn apart after Laura is accused of murder. From that catalyst the movie jumps forward 3 years to the point where all of Laura’s appeals have run out and she is destined to spend the rest of her life behind bars and John is left to raise their 6 year old son by himself. John can not live in his new reality and instead he sets out on a mission to change his reality and put his family back together. |
While as implausible as this story might seem, a community college professor attempting to break his wife out of jail and trying to escape the ensuing police manhunt, but if you are able to detach yourself from a certain aspect of reality for 2 hours there is a deeper level to this story that you can interact with. The audience is forced to confront the question of what would you do for a loved one that you believe is being wronged. The film turns into a psychological thriller and can take time to process. As you place yourself into the story you can start to really feel the emotions that these characters are going through. A true psychological thriller only succeeds when the audience is forced to put themselves into the story and Haggis pulls off that feat in The Next Three Days.
While there are a few unbelievable moments, including John busting into a meth lab to steal money to fund his ambitious new plan for his family, the overall experience of The Next Three Days is exciting. Crowe gives a solid performance and the supporting cast delivers when they are called upon. This film is filled with emotion, intrigue, suspense, and desperation. It is the desperation that ends up really driving the characters and it shows just how far one can go when they are desperate.
The Next Three Days will definitely make you stop and think and it will make you contemplate some tough questions about yourself. However, after a while you will remember how implausible the scenario would be for real life, but just because something wouldn’t really happen in real life doesn’t mean that it doesn’t make for a decent movie going experience.
3½ out of 5 stars. |
