Cinema Verdict Review: The Next Three Days

The Next Three Days

OPENING: 11/19/2010

STUDIO: Lionsgate

RUN TIME: 133 min

ACCOMPLICES:
Trailer, Official Site

The Charge
What if you had 72 hours to save everything you live for?

Opening Statement
Paul Haggis understands character. In his latest feature, The Next Three Days, starring Russell Crowe (Robin Hood) and Elizabeth Banks (Role Models), the Academy Award-winning writer-director of Crash (2005) constructs his most meticulous character study yet, replete with ample amounts of concentrated drama and startling pragmatism . Audiences seeking adrenaline pumping action (as advertised in the trailers) need look elsewhere. Haggis’ film doesn’t thrill, but rather prompts conversation in regards to moral integrity. At the very least it supplies a nice alternative for those looking to skip out on the latest Harry Potter feature.

Facts of the Case
Crowe stars as John Brennan, a simple man whose life spirals out of control when his wife (Banks) winds up in prison wrongfully convicted of murder. With the law no longer willing (or able) to help, John dives into the seedy underbelly of society and, utilizing the knowledge of a former prison-escapee (Liam Neeson), concocts a plan to free his wife from a lifetime of solitude behind bars.

As he nears his objective, John struggles to maintain moral judgment, and finds that victory can only be achieved by crossing over into the hardened, murky life of criminality.

The Evidence
I’ve enjoyed the work of Paul Haggis ever since I first saw Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby, which Haggis scripted, adapting from F.X. Toole’s collection of short stories. The man understands the dynamics of character, something typified in his screenplay to the brilliant James Bond “reboot” Casino Royale.

As a director, however, Haggis has a lot to learn in terms of pacing and film structure. His plots move at a sluggish pace, building to a climax that never arises. That’s because Haggis the director has weightier issues on his mind, as displayed in his films Crash and In the Valley of Elah. Haggis presents a particular sociological theme, inserts a handful of characters, and then steps back to examine how they deal with the situation. The results ultimately lead to deeper truths about society–specifically American society. Crash took on racism and its social obscurities; the ways in which a society’s inability to fully accept various ethnicities hampered their humanity. Elah explored war and the psychological ramifications currently debilitating Iraqi veterans. In that film, Tommy Lee Jones played a retired military police officer investigating the murder of his son. His inquiries lead him to discover a world no longer familiar to him, and drastically alter his stubborn perspectives on life.

The Next Three Days could be seen as a companion piece (of sorts) to Elah, what with Crowe’s character falling head first into a world he does not fully understand. At one point, while seeking out a phony ID dealer, Brennan gets mugged and beaten (quite literally) into a bloody mess. After the incident, he purchases a gun and nonchalantly tells the clerk, “Show me where the bullets go.” Slowly but surely, Brennan evolves into this newfound world, his persona matching those of the criminals within its tangible circle. He bribes, steals, and at one point even commits murder. The deeper he falls, the closer his wife gets to escaping; her only chance to reunite with their young son Luke (Ty Simpkins)– the cost of Brennan’s soul underlines the thematic narrative.

Haggis refuses to rationalize Brennan’s actions, merely presenting them to us –sometimes in startling detail (did you know you could break into a car with nothing but a tennis ball?)– and asks a simple question: “What would you do?”

Crowe has made a career playing immaculate heroes driven mad by obsession. Days caters to the actors’ strengths, and Crowe delivers a flawless, steadfast performance. Brennan’s obsessive desire to beat the law echoes the psychotic frailties of Crowe’s Beautiful Mind character John Nash, except mixed with a tinge of Maximus gusto. I was reminded of Kevin Costner in No Way Out, and Harrison Ford in The Fugitive. Those films also explored desperate men stuck within a trying, near-hopeless circumstance struggling to break free. Such a role requires restraint, and Crowe’s chiseled face, layered with that naturally hardened, world-weary look of his, reveals ample amounts of emotion, but then hides them all the same. Crowe remains an actor we take for granted–see Ridley Scott’s underappreciated Robin Hood –one we should sorely miss if and when he turns his back on cinema.

The lissome Banks, meanwhile, cries and sulks through much of the film, and does so acutely. Yet, the actress cannot handle the mental breakdown required to make the role stick. At one point her character tries to commit suicide, the next moment she smiles as though immune to the psychological effects such an incident would undoubtedly have. Instead of spiraling downward, Banks’ character coasts across the surface. She acts less like a woman whose life has collapsed than a pouty blond who cannot find the pair of shoes to match her sunny flower dress. Her husband struggles more than she does.

Days works best in the quieter, subtle moments. A simple exchange between Brennan and his pop (played by Brian Dennehy), who moments earlier stumbled onto his son’s imprudent plan, carries with it undertones of aching sadness, but also highlights satisfied machismo. What father wouldn’t be proud of a son who willingly risks all to save the woman he loves? Even so, life goes on: “I’ll have a coffee,” Dennehy says to his wife shortly after, casually seating himself at the dinner table.

Haggis the writer formulates powerful character moments that are at turns touching, and docile. People don’t shout in this film, they communicate through soft words, and quiet stares. Brennan need only feel the touch of his wife’s hand to know her intentions. He observes his son sharing a bag of cookies with a friend and can’t help but smile. These simple moments are hard to come by in Haggis’ surreptitious world, but they’re also key to understanding the importance of the situation at hand.

Unfortunately, where the film fails is in the heist itself–or in its big moments. After hours of watching Brennan concoct the damned jailbreak, I was frustrated when the results proved less than stellar. Vestigial moments of tension–which the film needlessly drags out for at least 15 minutes too long–ensure audiences won’t leave until those credits roll. But Haggis’ refusal to give into genre standards–i.e. car chases, shoot-outs–leaves the film lacking. Character remains the upmost priority, all the way until the last bit of desultory drama exposes itself onscreen. Normally, such restraint merits applause, here the tactic becomes tedious.

Still, for at least 100 of the films 133 minutes, I was riveted, inching closer and closer to the edge of my seat. I never assumed a casual position, even in that disappointing final act, but I didn’t fall off of my chair, either.

Closing Statement
At turns gripping, and thought-provoking, The Next Three Days ensures a rewarding experience, thanks in no small part to Russell Crowe’s astounding performance. Just don’t expect any explosions.

The Verdict
8/10