When it’s over, how far will you go to save the one you love? In The Next Three Days, John Brennan (Russell Crowe) must find a way to break his wife, Lara (Elizabeth Banks), out of prison for a murder she did not commit. This film was slow to start; it climbs uphill; and when it reaches the third act (about an hour into the film), it finally takes off at a thriller pace leaving several possible endings. As Brennan planned and researched the prison breakout, I found myself questioning his methods and how his methods put his young child’s welfare at risk, but at the same time, I understood his desperation and the emotional conflict that went with his decisions. This is due mostly in part to Crowe's ability to convey such emotions without words. This film's not a thriller like Prison Break and falls short of greatness next to The Shawshank Redemption. However, I do give credit to Director Paul Haggis for delving into the emotional side of having a loved one in prison and how that can upset the balance of family ties and life and our own ability to cope with the stress. I may have got the ending I wanted, but Haggis clearly wants the viewer to question the ripples of that ending. I think that one look (could it be relief, guilt, sadness, regret?) in Brennan’s face before fading to black leaves the audience and Brennan wondering if what he did was morally right or wrong and all the consequences, good and bad, that were attached to it.
I thought it was a fairly good movie, although it dragged a bit at times. Russell Crowe does have the ability to convey emotions without words, however, he does not have the ability to single-handedly carry a movie. The is a moral issue here for sure.
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