‘THE NEXT THREE DAYS’ (2011): THE RUSSELL CROWE THRILLER ABOUT CHOICES

This thing we call “life” can throw us some curveballs. It tests us and in some situations, breaks us. The revolving idea of this asks how far a person would be willing to go to be sure those you love aren’t ever hurt. Would we work within the law or go to an extreme to have our family whole again? This film explores the latter idea in a harsh reality. the next three days

The Next Three Days (2011) Film Review

It’s happiness the makes the Brennan’s suburban life work. Every morning, Lara takes a snapshot of her family as her husband smiles to appease his wife’s silly tradition. But then fate intervenes and Lara (Elizabeth Banks) is accused of murdering her boss. The case against her seems solid. The evidence shoes she argues with her boss, is witnessed leaving the scene, and her fingerprints are on the murder weapon. It’s enough for detectives to arrest her the following morning, and file charges. Still she claims innocence.

It’s a claim her husband, John (Russell Crowe) never second guesses. With such an overwhelming case against her, the jury convicts her of murder. Three years later, John faithfully stands by his wife yet appeals are to no avail. His final request is denied which shatters Lara’s confidence. Her devastation leads to drastic measures and a confession to her husband that she did murder the woman.

Doubt. It’s such a small word but one with a lot of power. If a movie has a good plot, it can go a long way. In The Next Three Days, there is. If it does have a larger failing, it doesn’t use its plot to its best advantage. Opening is a scene that takes place later in the film which sets us off balance, and the movie suffers from being little overlong. It’d be more satisfying for the planning to take forefront rather than the mundane existence. Nevertheless, the whole suspense of the end result is fabulous. There’s also a lot of focus on the couple’s young son (Ty Simpkins) whose struggles is devastating.  

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This one has a good cast, including Liam Neeson (in a one-time scene), Olivia Wilde and its director/writer is no stranger to filmmaking. (He’s penned such movies as Quantum of Solace and the Academy-Award nominated Million Dollar Baby.) You question all of the characters’ motives and the truth behind them. Banks has just a glint of sinister potential so as to make us wonder. On the one hand, everyone is likable, but it’s a little difficult to fully “like” John. the next three days

As human beings, we can sympathize with all he goes through and want him to have his family whole. But his ultimate plan, if it fails would leave his son without anyone. He’s warned about having to leave a child behind, and the audience feels the horror of this. How could a parent consider such a thing? Do the ends justify the means? I don’t think so. Distraught over his wife’s injustices notwithstanding John’s primary us his son. By the end, the movie is a decent if not an impractical way to spend the evening. The script raises some interesting questions, but the length it goes too isn’t morally “right.”

Standing by someone is admirable, but in John’s situation there has to be a line that should not be crossed. Putting his love into action isn’t right in this scenario. One cannot doubt John’s love for his wife, but I have to ask if the same is true for his son.

Content: there is one more intense gun fire exchange; two men die another shoots a getaway car, plus a home is set ablaze. One man contemplates robbing a bank, and later thieves from a bunch of drug dealers. [He is beaten earlier and robbed.] Twice,
a woman attempts suicide; the first we are not privy too, the second she attempts to throw herself from the car with an eighteen-wheeler barreling down on her. There is some sensual foreplay between a married couple; it’s suggested they have a brief tryst in the car. That same conversation includes an innuendo or two. [Lara cracks a joke about the no “conjugal” rule on visiting day.] Women wear low-cut blouses. One blurred but clear F-word [and there may be one other, too] is in place plus several abuses of deity. Common-place profanity is the normal for other inappropriate dialogue. The film is PG13.