The Next Three Days – 3*

Paul Haggis is a master of tension building, from Crash to In The Valley of Elah, putting his characters through the emotional mill, and challenging preconceptions. On face value, his latest film, The Next Three Days, starring heavyweight Russell Crowe, is a surprisingly toned-down affair and a true popcorn flick. But it still has a Haggis dark side to it, tackling an equally compelling question; how far would you go for a loved one?

Crowe is exceptionally cast as a man with morals who spirals into survival, fugitive mode, after his beloved wife (remarkably well-played by Elizabeth Banks) is convicted of a brutal murder and gets life. His civility and faith in the system crumbles with each appeal that is floored, until he must make the ultimate choice to keep his family together.

It seems a little far-fetched and even fanciful – and it is, in places, especially the fleeing scene on the motorway near the end (as in the trailer). But what is fascinating to watch is Crowe as the husband, John Brennan, changing in personality over time and rejecting society’s ridge rules, in favour of creating his own logical reality, and one in which he can live as a family again.

That said, even with Haggis’s expertise, the film does feel lengthy and loses momentum in the middle, as Crowe as Brennan gets caught up in his own dark moods. Plus there is something missing that doesn’t quite elevate it above other such fugitive and anti-societal affairs that really could have allowed it to make a mark in the genre. Crowe does the best he can with the material, and the reason his character is so compelling is he allows us to connect and empathise with Brennan, before the film loses the plot a little and becomes a little self-indulgent.

There are very brief appearances from the likes of Liam Neeson and Kevin Corrigan that add to the casting pull, with Neeson in an intriguing anti-type villainous role that makes you sit up and take notice, compared to his usual dull Irish affair. There are also supporting cast that although necessary to the story, appear oddly mismatched, such as the two hapless detectives (played Jason Beghe and Aisha Hinds) who feel like they’ve dropped in from another TV cop movie to stake out Brennan. All the parts don’t always mix, even though there is a consuming protagonist at the helm that they all should revolve around.

This film is driven by Crowe, once again, which makes it an instantly compelling watch, and the fact that none of Haggis’s characters are painted in an entirely favourable, or even likeable light, makes them all the more flawed, real and captivating at times. It is a pity that the film loses its way, or it would have been a near perfect character study within a fascinating topic of ‘the little man verses the state’. This has absolutely been done before, but that’s half of the frustration when Haggis is involved as it’s a solid film as it stands, but could have packed a greater emotional punch, rather than resorting to TV crime dramatics and action-packed antics.

3/5 stars

By L G-K