A married couple's life is turned upside down when the wife is accused of a murder. Lara Brennan is arrested for murdering her boss with whom she had an argument. It seems she was seen leaving the...
The Next Three Days sluggishly counts down to its thrilling prison break whilst grounded by semi-realism. After a tranquil night out, you wake up the next morning preparing breakfast for your child and spouse. Exercising a typical suburban daily routine. *knock knock*. Someone’s at the door. With a jolly grin, you open the entrance, only to be greeted by a barrage of police officials equipped with a warrant to search your property. Your spouse, washing a suspicious red stain from their jacket, is arrested for the murder of their boss. With no evidence to support their claims, and you restlessly staying up every night in search for potential answers, they’re sentenced to life in prison. You believe, despite the substantial evidence, that their innocent and wrongly accused. You trust them. You love them.
Given the above hypothetical situation, Haggis’ remake of the French thriller ‘Pour Elle’ asks the fundamental question: “What would you do?”. This deluge of direct address solidifies an upsurge of participation from the viewer, as they witness a wholesome family endure fragmentation. Whether it be John browsing search engines in an attempt to find tutorials on breaking into cars with a tennis ball or producing “bump keys” to pick locks. Haggis grounds this ordeal in a fragile layer of realism by ensuring each character has a moral compass. John in particular, whom is a college English teacher, backs away from several scenarios indicating a higher level of morality. He isn’t a hero who can take on the entire Pittsburgh police force. He isn’t a criminal. He is human. An obsessed ordinary being who loves his wife so very dearly. There’s a palpable motive behind John that strives for relatability.
Unfortunately though, John is marred with substantial flaws that prevent emotional investment. The largest impact being the complete disregard for his son. As a father, no matter the circumstance, his responsibility is for his son. To risk Luke’s childhood with no parents, in the event that John is caught breaking Lara out of prison, is unprincipled. Haggis rarely explored this ethical conflict within John, settling to illustrate a convoluted, implausible and meticulous prison break plan instead. Yet it’s anchored by plot conveniences and coincidences that disguise a chaotic intention as a seamless scheme.
It juxtaposes the destructive obsession that John experiences, as he subconsciously injures the people surrounding him. Accidentally reversing into a shopper. Enduring a shoot out. But, most importantly, his son. Haggis’ conclusion, whilst matching the original’s ending, lacked satisfaction. Personally, it’s a weak climax that purposefully contrasts the speech delivered by Neeson at the start of the feature. Crowe and Banks however deliver engrossing performances throughout that solidify a mild entertainment factor within The Next Three Days, although Wilde was criminally underused.
Approximately mid-way through this thriller, John and his class of eager students discuss Don Quixote. A romanticised conceptualisation of sacrificing one’s self for love. Amorous, yet an impractical gesture. That, essentially, sums up The Next Three Days. Romantic, yet unreasonable.
