Friday, March 11, 2011
Michael Allen
The Next Three Days released on DVD, Blu-ray and VOD formats March 8th, through Lionsgate and this film is based on another, titled Pour Elle (SF Gate). The film reviewed here hosts an all-star cast including Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Olivia Wilde, and Brian Dennehy. Travelling the gamut of genres from thriller, to action, and to drama, The Next Three Days has all the facets of a heist film, without the bank robbery. However, there is a prison escape and director Paul Haggis (Quantum of Solace) shows an instinct for writing challenging moral dilemmas.
You have likely seen the trailers for this blockbuster and you may know the basic plotline. For those unaware, Crowe plays John Brennan, a husband separated from his wife. Wrongly accused of murder, Lara Brennan will spend the rest of her days in prison and her stay is not a pleasant one as noticed by film critic Mick LaSalle: "[John] plays the helpless witness to his wife's emotional and physical decline." This is not an easy spot to be in and John is forced to action, after his wife's suicide.
At this point, viewers must begin to ask themselves the hard questions: could you watch the love of your life waste away in prison, could you leave behind your son/daughter to rescue her/him, and could you ignore your protective instinct to save your family to follow an arguably more powerful set of laws, criminal law? Drama is not a genre that allows viewers to sit on the fence and if The Next Three Days does not move you, then your blood is as ice cold as those enacting the rules of justice in the film. Simply put, this is solid storytelling, even if the film is loosely based on another (Pour Elle).
Much of the action and excitement comes from John's complex plan to break her out of the County Jail. To outsmart over a hundred local, state, and federal law takes a solid plan, but also a lot of guts. Crowe displays both John's concern for his family and his passion to reunite them. The escape through Pittsburgh goes awry and the outcome may leave some viewers behind. Yet, this is fiction, a place where imagination is sometimes needed to skirt over the unbelievable.
The Next Three Days is an excellent action thriller and fans of this genre will find lots of material here to enjoy. Exciting, harrowing and very human, this film asks viewers to step inside John's shoes, to ask themselves: what would I do to preserve my family's safety (is there anything you would not do)? Visit or re-visit this title in the formats listed above.
Overall: 9 out of 10 (best thriller that this reviewer has seen since The Town).
The film's homepage is listed here:
The Next Three Days at Lionsgate
The film's fan page is here:
The Next Three Days on Facebook
Another insightful review on this title is listed here (San Francisco Gate):
The Next Three Days at the SF Gate (Mick LaSalle)
Available as of March 8th, on Amazon:
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Posted in: 2011,action thriller movie preview,blu-ray,crime drama,drama,dvd,elizabeth banks,mick lasalle,moral dilemma,movie review,paul haggis,russell crowe
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