20 May 2012

Preposterous but entertaining

The whole premise and the way it plays out is preposterous, but this movie is very entertaining to watch, and you sympathize, to some degree at least, with Crowe's character, who wants to rescue his innocent wife from a lengthy prison sentence. The strain on the couple and their young son is portrayed strongly as well, and the action scenes are balanced with the tender ones.Put your disbelief aside and have fun with the ride.

20 May 2012

Performances and Concept Were Solid, Pacing Was Off and Dragged

The idea behind this movie was interesting (and a remake of a French film) - a woman (Elizabeth Banks) is wrongly convicted of murder and facing a life sentence, so her desperate husband (Russell Crowe) tries to get her out. Banks, Crowe and the others put in solid performances - and this film really needed that or it would have completely sank, in my opinion. The pacing was off, and it dragged in many scenes. The actual escape attempt is exciting but we don't get there until the last 1/2 hour. I think some of the middle could have been cut, and the escape and aftermath covered in more detail. So overall, a mixed bag for me.

Tobias Nyström

18 May 2012

Its a Hollywood carbon copy of an already excellent film

First off, this movie is not bad. Not all all. The problem is, however,that I despise this kind of movie making. I can understand the scenariowhere you see an movie or read a book which has already been made amovie, and think - I can do this better. Or I see a different angle. Orwhatever creative idea it might be. This movie though, is not that.This movie is made by accountants. It's a carbon copy of the movie"Pour Elle", only in English. Basically it's the most expensivesubtitles in the world.So I strongly recommend that you see the original instead. It's even alittle better since the American version forgot one crucial scene andadded a scene that has no reason to be there except for looking good inthe trailer.Once again - see the original (Por Elle). It's better and that way yougive credit where credit's due.

18 May 2012

Very Suspenseful

This review is from: The Next Three Days (Amazon Instant Video) Great Movie. Actors were sympathetic and believable in their roles. Condensing three years of trial and appeal into a few minutes, you still felt the anguish and frustration and hopelessness of not being able to prove the wife's innocence. After the husband's decision was made to try a jailbreak, the desperate tactics begin. The movie had me rooting for the success of their flight to freedom. Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended.

16 May 2012

Solid thriller.

I'll make this a short review.What we get here is pretty much what you'd expect.It's a thriller.An incredibly good but unrealistic thriller.There are a few "palm to forehead" moments like there always are with films from this genre.The acting, score, direction are all spot on.It is a tad slow in places but the one thing that saves it is the same thing that seems to save any movie.Crowe.Even if you don't like him you gotta admit...the guy can act.Russell simply MAKES this movie.For fellow fans I really don't have to gush anymore about how awesome he is.All in all a fun and interesting thriller that held my attention.I give it my recommendation.

SiilentMiike

16 May 2012

Haggis Never Disappoints

Writer/Director Paul Haggis never disappoints in constructing realisticcharacters in thrilling situations that always feel genuine and keepyou entertained. The Next Three Days, an action-thriller, pairs upHaggis's knack for engaging story telling with Crowe's well versedconsistent acting, and we're given a scenario where love conquers all,in what might be my favorite escape-plotting, fugitive-thriller that'sfull of intense yet entertaining moments since, The Fugitive.Elizabeth Banks keeps up with Crowes strong presence, while OliviaWilde proves to be an unnecessary character with a pretty face.http://siilentmiike.com/

tj_director

15 May 2012

Underrated Classic!!

I have no idea how this film "flopped".. I can only guess the pressweren't keen on promoting a Russel Crowe film that Ridley Scott didn'tdirect... but that's a genuine shame, because this is the best thrilleri've seen in ages, and probably one of the best films i've seen inages.. and i watch a LOT of films.. to the point i'm almost gettingbored of them.If you like well told stories, and you like thrillers.. do yourself ahuge favour and watch this film.. I childishly resented Paul Haggisbecause 'Crash' beat 'Brokeback Mountain' at the Oscars.. but whateverI had against the man, I completely take it back, because 'The NextThree Days' is in my opinion a piece of work from a true master of theform.Also check out '3:10 To Yuma', another massively under appreciated filmwith Crowe.

14 May 2012

One Womans Opinion

This review is from: The Next Three Days (DVD) The concept - a community college professor turns criminal mastermind to break his wife out of jail - was a little hard to swallow. Once you get past that, the movie moved along at a swift pace with lots of action. Russell Crowe is always fun to watch - he really makes you believe in the character. All in all, an entertaining way to spend an evening.

george.schmidt

13 May 2012

Better than anticipated dramathriller with Crowe do the thing he does best implosive dedication for setting thing right.

THE NEXT THREE DAYS (2010) *** Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, TySimpkins, Liam Neeson, Olivia Wilde, Daniel Stern, Jason Beghe, AishaHinds, Kevin Corrigan, Brian Dennehy, Helen Carey. Better thananticipated drama/thriller with Crowe as a man facing insurmountableodds: breaking his wife (Banks) out of prison after she has beenrevoked parole and looking at a lifetime imprisonment for murder. Whileit is a familiar and occasionally predictable plot the direction by itsscreenwriter Paul Haggis makes up for it with some ingenious moments(using a tennis ball to break into a car for one!) and lets his leadman do the thing he does best: implosive dedication for setting thingright.

13 May 2012

interestingly heartfelt, actionpacked 4 and half stars

I give this film four and a half stars. So many movies get good reviews but i am alwyas about 95% what other people think after 50 or more reviews. If you watch this film you will enjoy it. its super suspensful

11 May 2012

The Most Successful Thriller In Years

Let me get one thing out of the way: I hate Paul Haggis! I found Million Dollar Baby to be overrated and Crash was cloying and manipulative - one of the worst Best Picture winners in recent history, and an unintended champion of homophobia. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed The Next Three Days. In my opinion, it is was of the most successful thrillers I've seen in the last ten years. I was literarily on the edge of my seat during the majority of the movie.The Next Three Days isn't without its flaw - it is a Paul Haggis film, after all. The writing of the police characters is seemingly taken from the worst TV procedural clichés. And while Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks shine in the lead roles, some of the casting in the supporting roles seems off. Like the bizarre Tony Danza cameo in Crash, here we get Daniel Stern as a high-priced lawyer and Liam Neeson as hardened criminal.Still, the film's minor flaws don't detract from my overall enjoyment of the film. Check out The Next Three Days.

Danusha Goska

11 May 2012

Efficient Thriller

"The Next Three Days" is a tight, hard-hitting thriller that had me onthe edge of my seat throughout the film. I really didn't know, right upto the final moments, how it would end – and because the film hadexpertly guided me to care about all the characters, even some randomlosers in a meth lab, I did care about how it would end. The actors areall good with Russell Crowe especially so, and the realistically grittysets perfectly match the film's desperate tone. Elizabeth Banks'too-good-to-be-true wholesome, sunny good looks are well used. "TheNext Three Days" reminded me of Hitchcock, and of 1993's "TheFugitive," but it doesn't rise to that level of classic. Rather, it's awell-oiled machine, designed efficiently to crank out the audience'sengagement, tension and release.There are a couple of especially good moments. The opening scene couldhave been satisfactory if all it did was to set the stage for what isto follow, but it does so much more. I'd love to watch that scene again(and again). A women with a plunging neckline spars with Lara, a moremodestly dressed woman, about whether or not women can ever get overtheir competition over men and bond with each other. The scenedemonstrates its contents: Ms. Décolletage uses double entendres tomake a pass at Lara's husband, and Lara shows the audience she is quitecapable of losing her temper, an important plot point. The brilliantwriting in this scene is a bonus. There is a scene involving a sewerdrain that economically resolves a question the audience has had forsome time. A scene with a car door is similarly powerful andinformative. Brian Dennehy's performance as an intimacy-impaired,working class dad is almost wordless and quite brilliant. And the filmreally does bring poignancy to the scum of the earth, drug dealers.

10 May 2012

One of my favorite movies

This review is from: The Next Three Days (DVD) The Next Three Days is a movie full of suspense. It really kept me on the edge of my seat and that doesn't happen very often.Russell Crowe is absolutely brilliant as John Brennan the main character. The rest of the cast is also well chosen and their acting is great. The different characters are nicely developed, convincing and plausible. The dialogs are well written.There are many touching scenes where no words are spoken. It's just the acting and some background music which tell you more than any words could say. The soundtrack is also very well chosen. Layout and scenery of Pittsburgh play an essential part in the story line.The plot is very densely packed and fast-moving and consists of many small scenes. Some of the deleted scenes would have filled some gaps and provided the viewer with some helpful explanations. It's a pity that there is no extended version on the DVD. There are for example deleted scenes that would have explained how John Brennan came up with the plan to tamper with his wife's blood test to get her out of prison.The Next Three Days is definitely one of the best movies I have seen lately but nothing is perfect. You just can't push up the door knob of a car with a tennis ball. There would have been some other means like a device to intercept the door lock mechanism with remote control. John could have obtained such a device from the same shady neighborhood he got the passports from. I also didn't like the scene of Lara trying to throw herself out of the car just because John made a sudden change in plans. Why a second suicide attempt now when she is almost home free? A freaked out Lara pushing at her husband while driving could have just as easily caused the near accident.Anyway, I think the whole story is quite believable even though there are some very convenient coincidences. Just watch Reality TV and you will see even more unbelievable stories.

matthewchermside

09 May 2012

Clever Tension Building

There are few films that really keep one guessing about the potentialending all the way through - this one does just that extremelyskilfully. It also has an incredible ensemble cast - the only drawbackto this is that Liam Neeson and Brian Dennehy are criminally underusedand in Neeson's only 10-minute scene he manages to outshine Crowe'sentire performance, which was a little disappointing. The same cannotbe said for Elizabeth Banks whose portrayal of the jailed wife is fullof believable emotional depth.This film reminded me a little of 'The Assassination of Richard Nixon'in that it tries to show a character study of a man sinking toincredibly desperate lows to reclaim the life he once had. Crowe isnever off the screen, which is a huge burden for any actor - to try andcarry the whole film - and his performance, while not bad in any sense,does fall short of Sean Penn's highly disturbing portrayal.The 'cat-and-mouse' aspect of the ending was thrilling but ultimatelygave way to a sugary ending. I felt that an 'Arlington Road' or'Inception' style ending with a bit more ambiguity would have done itmore justice.Definitely worth watching - don't miss it.

MovieSonic

08 May 2012

Heart-stoppingly good!

Had read some positive / negative reviews so wasn't sure what toexpect.I cannot believe how emotional this film was! The beginning is good- wefind out who everyone is and how everyone got to where they are,nothing especially exciting but well written and acted. Then the filmkicks into gear with the escape.Honestly, I was actually shaking at one point with nerves because Iwasn't sure if they would make it or not.People criticising films for not being believable should go and watchdocumentaries.This film was exciting, had excellent music, was well acted and thepositives FAR outweighed any negatives.Definitely glad I watched this.

07 May 2012

No place to hide...

"The Next Three Days" is a 2010 remake of the 2008 French thriller titled "Anything for Her." It's got a plot that is very well written, suspensefully engaging, and not too predictable. To those who missed seeing it in the theatre, this would be well worth the rental when it comes out in March. However, because of its extra length (2 hrs+) and frequent elements of surprise that develop the story, this would not be a movie that one wants to keep in the library and watch again. The viewing satisfaction of the first time will not repeat itself. Russel Crowe shines in it, especially when he masterfully plays a "bad actor," and the rest of the cast does a tremendous job. Good movie. Recommended.

Claudio Carvalho

06 May 2012

A Popcorn Remake of the French Thriller Pour Elle (2008)

In Pittsburgh, the family man and community college teacher JohnBrennan (Russell Crowe) has his life turned upside down when hisbeloved wife Lara Brennan (Elizabeth Banks) is arrested, accused formurdering her boss, and sent to the Allegheny County Jail. Along threeyears, John raises their son Luke (Ty Simpkins) alone and appeals tothe court; however, the evidences against Lara are solid – the motive,since she had and argument with her boss; her fingerprints in themurder weapon, a fire extinguisher; blood stain in her coat; and awitness that saw her leaving the parking lot - and her lawyer exhaustsall the possible resources in justice. John believes in the innocenceof his wife and interviews a former escapee from prison to learn how toplan a prison break. Then he plots a scheme to release Lara and travelabroad with Luke and her. However, he needs documents for the family;an escape plan; and lots of money. When John is informed that Lara willbe transferred to the state prison within the next three days, he needsto raise a large amount and anticipate his strategy before thetransference.A couple of days ago I wrote:quote "The Next Three Days" is a good thriller that could have beenexcellent with minor modifications in the screenplay. The story of afamily man that loves and believes that his imprisoned wife is innocentand plans to rescue her from prison is engaging. But the correctguesses and the serendipity of Lieutenant Nabulsi (Lennie James) areirritating and Lara's reckless attitude on the road is so stupid thatalmost destroy the plot of this good blockbuster film. I enjoyed a lotseeing Brian Dennehy again after a long period. Last but not the least,the mesmerizing beauty of Olivia Wilde is awesome. My vote is seven.unquoteHowever, I have just watched the great French thriller "Pour Elle",which has the original story without the absurd modifications of thepopcorn American remake. It is amazing the lack of creation of thisformer successful American industry that insists in the remake of greatfilms. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): "72 Horas" ("72 Hours")

SZretired

06 May 2012

Dont miss it!

It is so nice to watch a movie that doesn't need nudity, foul language and loaded with unreal special effects!!!Edge of your seat entertainment and as always, Russel Crowe delivers an awesome performance!

quinnox-1

04 May 2012

Russell Crowe shines in crime thriller

I think this is Crowe's best movie that I have seen him in since thegreat "3:10 to Yuma" western.He does a brilliant job as an average middle class successful man whoslowly is driven to the edge because of his wife being in prison for acrime he thinks she did not commit. I think Crowe is one of the lastfew "real" movie stars around today and this movie just reinforces myopinion.The plan to get his wife out of prison is very clever, and he ismeticulous in planning every small detail of his ingenious plan. But ofcourse reality does not always go the way we expect, and itsfascinating to watch how he deals with unforeseen obstacles that arisein his path.I thought this movie was really gripping and had a suspenseful storythat you couldn't wait to see what would happen next, and RussellCrowe's amazing acting is the cement at the center of this fine movie.After a few disappointing movies in the recent past (Robin Hood is oneexample) Russell Crowe shows in this film he is one of the best andmost interesting actors in movies today, and I am glad to see him getback to this point.

VFX

03 May 2012

So beautiful

Such a beautiful movie, it leaves you with a great feeling. And the actors are just fantastic! Want to see it again :)