Film Review: The Next Three Days

The Next Three Days. Rated M (violence and coarse language). 133 minutes. Written and directed by Paul Haggis. Based on the French film Pour Elle (Anything for Her).

Depending entirely on the extent of your patience for Haggis’ slow-burning build-up, The Next Three Days will either have you shouting “Get on with it!” at the screen, or sitting back and becoming totally immersed – chiefly as a result of Russell Crowe’s beautifully-controlled performance as John, a man determined to free his wife Lara (Elizabeth Banks in top form) from prison.

Haggis, who wrote the screenplays Casino Royale (2004), Million Dollar Baby (2004), and Crash (2004) – which he also directed – is equally determined to take his time. As John finds himself more and more frighteningly out of his comfort zone, Crowe absolutely rises to the occasion – and even though the heard-hearts will shake their heads at the implausibility of it all, those of us who have chosen to go along for the ride, will find immense satisfaction in the carefully considered and structured storytelling.

Danny Elfman’s (Alice in Wonderland, Milk, Wanted) score expertly guides the film’s gradually-increasing tension, while Stéphane Fontaine’s moody and intense cinematography is superb – ranging from the bleak clinical prison and hospital environments to the dangerous, dim, dark alleyways and back streets of suburban Pittsburgh, where John takes his life in his hands to secure key ingredients to his master plan.

Ty Simpkins is great as John and Lara’s surprisingly well-adjusted young son Luke, while Brian Dennehy and Helen Carey provide excellent support as John’s parents. As two Detectives charged with investigating Lara’s innocence, Jason Beghe and Aisha Hinds (True Blood) lend fine, stand-out comedic support, while Liam Neeson sets the tone of the whole affair perfectly in his blink-and-you’ll-miss-him cameo.

Ultimately, The Next Three Days might be considered as a bit of a guilty escapist (pardon the pun) pleasure – but an absolute pleasure nonetheless. The escape sequence, with split-second timing magnificently edited by Jo Francis, is real edge-of-your-seat stuff – with Haggis bringing home the classic “will-they-won’t-they?” thrills in fine style.

Pictured: Elizabeth Banks and Russell Crowe in The Next Three Days.

This review was commissioned by the Geraldton Newspaper Group.