Film: The Next Three Days
Starring: Russell Crowe (Gladiator and American Gangster) and Elizabeth Banks (W. and Role Models)
U.S. Release: 2010 (rated PG-13)
Director: Paul Haggis (Crash and In the Valley of Elah)
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 2 hours 2 minutes
Writer-Director Paul Haggis may need a bigger room for all of his hardware. Haggis has written the screenplay for back to back Best Picture winners Million Dollar Baby (2004) and Crash (2005). And not only did Haggis write the Oscar winning Crash, he also directed the film. With his latest movie, The Next Three Days, having a delayed release date, Haggis and the picture's studio are sure to have their finger's crossed, in hopes of some recognition during this year's award season. If by chance everything falls into place, perhaps stars Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks can make that happen.
Set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, The Next Three Days centers around a college professor, John Brennan (Russell Crowe), and his wife Lara (Elizabeth Banks). Their lives are turned upside down when Lara is arrested for the murder of her boss. Fully convinced of his wife's innocence, John can't seem to accept this unjust reality as he's left with only one choice. He has to break Lara out of prison.
Never dull, The Next Three Days flows very well. John (Crowe) is a proper, well-educated man who slowly evolves right before your eyes. Desperate to reconnect with his wife, you get to witness the transformation of a neat and structured professor into a meticulous criminal mastermind. Crowe gives a solid performance as a husband driven by faith and love. However, it's hard to fully empathize with his character. As a member of the audience, you find yourself far more objective than John. He undoubtedly proclaims her innocence, but you become more open minded as you learn the facts surrounding Lara's murder case. It's unbelievable, but Elizabeth Banks is hardly recognizable at times. Even so, she still gives a convincing performance as John's wife, Lara, who can't cope with life in prison. All in all, as a whole, the acting was strong.
Despite its great cast, there are a few things unappealing about The Next Three Days. Haggis creates such a precise situation that it becomes difficult to believe it's possible. He does an excellent job developing the characters and story, but as you watch the events unfold, you can't help but feel let down. I have a lot of issues with the ending of the film. Haggis unconvincingly ties together all loose ends of the movie. In doing so, he creates a very polarizing finale. I just happen to lean toward the "dissatisfied" extreme.
If you need to get out and do something one of these weekends, The Next Three Days is one of the best options in theatres. It will keep you entertained, but if you're like me, you could be let down at its conclusion. Be warned.
Watch The Next Three Days if you enjoyed: Inside Man. The Next Three Days has a similar feel to Spike Lee's clever bank robbery tale, but it, unfortunately, outsmarts itself in the end.
Stars: 2 stars out of 4.
Starring: Russell Crowe (Gladiator and American Gangster) and Elizabeth Banks (W. and Role Models)
U.S. Release: 2010 (rated PG-13)
Director: Paul Haggis (Crash and In the Valley of Elah)
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 2 hours 2 minutes
Writer-Director Paul Haggis may need a bigger room for all of his hardware. Haggis has written the screenplay for back to back Best Picture winners Million Dollar Baby (2004) and Crash (2005). And not only did Haggis write the Oscar winning Crash, he also directed the film. With his latest movie, The Next Three Days, having a delayed release date, Haggis and the picture's studio are sure to have their finger's crossed, in hopes of some recognition during this year's award season. If by chance everything falls into place, perhaps stars Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks can make that happen.
Set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, The Next Three Days centers around a college professor, John Brennan (Russell Crowe), and his wife Lara (Elizabeth Banks). Their lives are turned upside down when Lara is arrested for the murder of her boss. Fully convinced of his wife's innocence, John can't seem to accept this unjust reality as he's left with only one choice. He has to break Lara out of prison.
Never dull, The Next Three Days flows very well. John (Crowe) is a proper, well-educated man who slowly evolves right before your eyes. Desperate to reconnect with his wife, you get to witness the transformation of a neat and structured professor into a meticulous criminal mastermind. Crowe gives a solid performance as a husband driven by faith and love. However, it's hard to fully empathize with his character. As a member of the audience, you find yourself far more objective than John. He undoubtedly proclaims her innocence, but you become more open minded as you learn the facts surrounding Lara's murder case. It's unbelievable, but Elizabeth Banks is hardly recognizable at times. Even so, she still gives a convincing performance as John's wife, Lara, who can't cope with life in prison. All in all, as a whole, the acting was strong.
Despite its great cast, there are a few things unappealing about The Next Three Days. Haggis creates such a precise situation that it becomes difficult to believe it's possible. He does an excellent job developing the characters and story, but as you watch the events unfold, you can't help but feel let down. I have a lot of issues with the ending of the film. Haggis unconvincingly ties together all loose ends of the movie. In doing so, he creates a very polarizing finale. I just happen to lean toward the "dissatisfied" extreme.
If you need to get out and do something one of these weekends, The Next Three Days is one of the best options in theatres. It will keep you entertained, but if you're like me, you could be let down at its conclusion. Be warned.
Watch The Next Three Days if you enjoyed: Inside Man. The Next Three Days has a similar feel to Spike Lee's clever bank robbery tale, but it, unfortunately, outsmarts itself in the end.
Stars: 2 stars out of 4.
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