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Lara (Elizabeth Banks) and John (Russell Crowe) in The Next Three Days. |
Law and disorder
By John Esther
Since the law will not free his wife, Lara (Elizabeth Banks), for a murder she did not commit, John (Russell Crowe) decides the only irrational thing to do is break her out of prison and run off to a country with no extradition agreement with the United States. Rationality is not for this world.
As silly as this looks on your computer screen, writer-director-producer Paul Haggis (In the Valley of Elah) manages to make this American adaptation of Fred Cavaye's Pour Elle an engaging film while maintaining enough credence that you may actually believe an English teacher at a community college would take on a little crime syndicate plus post-9/11 national security and come out victorious.
Taking an assured pace -- credit goes to editor Jo Francis -- The Next Three Days maintains a suspenseful pace for a little over two hours, occasionally peppering the anxiety with a little humor that is not so much a relief but rather taps into the occasional absurdity of existence. And the "spinning car" scene may be Haggis' best directed scene of his films hitherto.
Where the film slightly fails is in some of the lesser roles, which amount to little more than a "feel good" conclusion. In particular, Brian Dennehy plays George Brennan, John's unemotional father who finally earns John's respect for doing something borderline suicidal, which rings untrue considering George's demeanor. The same goes for the object of a potential extramarital love interest. On the other hand, John Tucker's portrayal of a guy caught between crossfire and his agonizing demise afterward is rather impressive.
Unlikely to garner any nominations for the Oscar-winning Haggis (Million Dollar Baby; Crash) this time around, The Next Three Days has enough going for it to make it your worthwhile -- certainly when it comes to home viewing.
