RETRO-spective Review: ‘The Next Three Days’
Stars: Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Brian Dennehy, Lennie James, Olivia Wilde, Ty Simpkins | Written and Directed by Paul Haggis
The Next Three Days is an intriguing movie that featured Russell Crowe who also starred in Unhinged. It is a story with no bad guys for the audience to root against. This is a rare feat in a Hollywood thriller and it might just be the beginning of a new age in the cinematic universe where antagonists are now dispensable. It is worthy of note that for at least 2/3 of the entire running time, the movie somehow manages to be an engaging, tense, and unpredictable affair.
Russel Crowe put in a magnificent performance, as we have seen in his other movies like Gladiator and American Gangster. If you can’t get enough of Crowe, there are plenty of wonderful movies and even games to play featuring his movies, such as free slots. You may play free Playtech games like Gladiator, and if you want to up the ante, there are comparison sites that check for the greatest welcome bonuses and provide reviews of over 8000 slots.
The movie introduces us to John (Russell Crowe), a community college English professor. He is teaching about Don Quixote, an idealistic dreamer that is ready to do whatever it takes to make justice reign on earth. According to John, the novel The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha talks about the triumph of irrationality.
The setting of the movie begins in a bar with John, Lara, and another couple having a discussion and some banter before leaving for home. This depicts a happy couple who, like every other couple, go out on a date.
John’s life is severely affected when Lara, his wife is charged and convicted of the murder of her boss. The evidence upon which her conviction is found is the blood of the victim on her raincoat and her fingerprints on the murder weapon.
Lara’s appeals run out after spending three years in prison and her lawyer (played by Daniel Stern) starts to lose hope about reversing the sentence. Furthermore, Lara’s boy Luke (played by Ty Simpkins) gets humiliated at school as a result of her imprisonment and has decided to disown her. Lara tries to commit suicide but does not succeed after which John devises a crazy, last-minute plan to reunite his family.
One of the most memorable and impactful scenes in the movie is when John visits Damon Pennington (portrayed by Liam Neeson), an ex-con that has escaped from prison several times. Damon gives John a detailed analysis of the challenges and risks associated with such a dangerous and audacious plan. Even though Damon was never caught, he turned himself in.
John proves to be a determined man that cannot be easily swayed or affected by distractions. He is so absorbed by his care-taking responsibilities despite the fact that he has his parents’ assistance. Thus, when a beautiful single mother (portrayed by Olivia Wilde) makes a move at him, he remains totally committed to his marital vows to Lara and refuses to fall for the temptation. However, when he gets into a violent neighborhood in the bid to get fake passports and IDs, the professor gets a glimpse of the dangers he will face if he presses forward with his plan.
The conclusion of the movie is an interesting one but it speaks deeper beyond the surface level. It shows an undercurrent distrust of the criminal justice system in the United States. Due to the incompetence of some of the players in the system (the police, the courts, detectives, the lawyers, judges or juries), it is common to see innocent people spend time in prison for an offence they didn’t commit.
Positive: We see strong and impressive acting from some of the cast of the movie such as Banks and Crowe. In addition to this, the movie manages to be a great thriller without necessarily having a villain to root against.
Downside: The third act has notable logic flaws in how highly unrealistic and shaky the escape plan is. Although, this does not detract from the overall quality of the film.
