Review of The Next Three Days (2010) by Timothy S — 02 Jan 2012

"The Next Three Days" is a crackerjack yet highly implausible thriller with a needlessly vague and complex title. It was written and directed with verve and vitality by Oscar winner Paul haggis stepping outside of his comfort zone successfully, and even though it is a very thoughtful procedural it moves at a decent clip.

It doesn't move fast enough to gloss over the many glaring plot deficiencies, but in the same respect, they don't detract from your enjoyment either. The set-up is fascinating, and Russell Crowe is always a commanding presence. He carries the entire picture, and he doesn't get much help from the supporting cast. Not that he needs it.

The prison break that concludes the film is a real nail-biter, and it's a more than satisfying payoff. It's an extremely enjoyable thriller, but the whole time you're watching it you're constantly aware that it is a movie and in no way does it resemble real life. The phrase "don't try this at home" kept coming to mind, simply because virtually nothing Crowe does in the picture once he decides to break his wife out of prison would ever actually work. The couple's escape from the hospital is tense and clever, but in reality, there's just no way they ever would have made it out alive. The same goes for the scene where they make it through a police checkpoint simply by riding with another couple because the cops are looking for three people and not five. Doesn't seem at all plausible, but it sure is exciting.

"The Next Three Days" is riddled with moments just like that one, but it's so well written that they're easy to overlook. Crowe is an everyman that you identify with, and you want to see him succeed.